Bittersweet
by Rune-Spirit
Summary: A series of short scenes that depict the growing relationship between Daryl and Beth, emphasizing their individual strengths and dynamic. When the Governor's insanity changes life in the prison, Beth proves she's not the same child from the farm. Daryl and she grow closer not because he saved her but because he sees her for who she has become. Bethyl (DarylxBeth) Post S3
1. Chapter 1

R_S: Sorry for this long AN, just letting you know it'll be different than what you have seen. It's a little choppy, less of a narrative than a series of moments that show a growing relationship between Daryl and Beth, mostly because I just don't have the time to write another fully fleshed-out story. It has all the characters, but something about Beth or Daryl is in every scene he/she is not present for. They are my OTP for this show (I know; I have a penchant for unconditional pairings), and I want to explore a different take on their relationship and how it would evolve and be expressed.

There are some great stories written for them, but I'm a little tired of how based in sex everyone makes it. While that would undoubtedly be a key issue given their stark differences, it's not how I think a girl like Beth would start a relationship (Daryl, yes, but not Beth). It makes sense given the situation and Glenn and Maggie's relationship started that way, yet Beth is very different from her sister. Maggie's fiery and sexy, but Beth is more refined and motherly. She thinks while her sister does, like the scene where they're all fighting Merle but instead Beth just fires a gun to make everyone stop. That's what would make Daryl and Beth so interesting; he's not as educated, despite being much older, and is an enforcer rather than a planner, whereas she's got some skill sets but wouldn't last on her own the way he could. They're a really interesting balance, I think, and they would be drawn to each other due to their opposing strengths, though perhaps reticent to start something. We already know she respects him and believes the group relies on him; I'd like to explore how the group relies on what she does behind the scenes and how that affects his opinion of her.

Another main difference in this story is the group's reaction to them. Part of what makes this pairing so interesting is the question of age and morality in this post-apocalyptic dystopia. The rationale that we shippers use is that the world is different, so it's understandable that these two might end up together. However, the people exposed to their relationship would have grown up with the morals from pre-outbreak, so I see them having a much more difficult time accepting this. Even though things are different for them, they still grew up seeing a relationship between a teen and a man twice her age as wrong, and I think they would have a much more adverse reaction than most people paint- especially to Daryl. I haven't finished writing the story yet, so I'm not even sure if they'll get a happy ending, that's how difficult I see this being for them.

So I've rambled long enough haha. Special thanks to **Mondieu666** for helping me work out some demons/plot issues with this story. If you haven't checked out _Damaged Heroes_ or _18 Miles Out_, you absolutely must- they're the best out there!

* * *

**Bittersweet**

**Chapter 1**

"Beth, honey, can ya pass me those sutures?" The old man did not need to point for his daughter to know what he was talking about, so he kept his hands busy with the wound before him: a deep gash in Daryl's thigh from a hunting mishap. The younger man was lying on his side, wearing a belligerent pout but no pants.

"Sure thing, daddy." She retrieved them dutifully from across the room, from where she neatly folded the discarded bottoms over the back of a chair. She was making a commendable effort to look anywhere but the partly unclothed man on the operating table and blushing all the while. "Here ya go."

"Man, I told you- I don't need no damn stitches. I'm _fine_!" His gaze met Beth's, and he glared as he noticed she was trying not to laugh at his petulance. He shut his mouth and looked back down, trying not to seem less mature than a teenager, albeit one unusually refined for her age.

Hershel did not look up from where he was stitching the open flesh, "I do believe the gentleman with the medical degree should be calling the shots, Mr. Dixon, and only one person in the room seems to fit those qualifications." Daryl hissed and cried out slightly as the closures went in. It burned to holy hell. He shut his eyes and gritted his teeth but was suddenly distracted by a soft hand gripping his own, causing him to turn his gaze upward. Beth looked down at him, eyebrows drawn together empathetically, and squeezed his hand, offering him a supportive little smile. She was sweet that way, always willing to offer comfort to anyone who needed it, even when her father did not even want her in the room, let alone touching the patient- after all, Daryl was still a half nude man and Beth was still his little girl. He noticed for the first time, as she gazed down at him, that her eyes were not a bright blue like his but more of a grey, like the sky in a storm.

Glenn appeared in the doorway as he pulled away his hand, mumbling about not being a goddamn baby, "You almost done in here? We need to take inventory for the med run."

"Just finishin' up, son." Hershel answered, moving away from the patient, "Alright, I'll take those out in a couple days. 'Should heal up just fine, if ya keep it clean like you're supposed to." As he spoke, Daryl stood and yanked on his pants, pretending his leg did not hurt.

"Yeah, yeah- thanks I guess."

"Who knows," Glenn smirked as he passed him in the doorway, "maybe you'll be able to get them out without holding mommy's hand."

Daryl did not feel sorry about giving him dead arm.

* * *

R_S: So, I'll be updating with scenes like this one, some this short but most longer, almost every day. Like I said, each scene is somewhat self-contained, but it's all a fluid timeline that builds into a story.

Please let me know what you think and how you think things with them would happen if they did somehow get together (I know it's not canon, I'm just wondering how you imagine it would play out if they did somehow become so). My theory of how it would happen that ISN'T written in this story: Carol's death bringing them closer, since she's Daryl's best friend and cares for Judith with Beth… Hershel would probably have to be dead too, or else he'd shoot Daryl, probably rightfully so… Basically like Lupin and Tonks after Sirius's death a la Harry Potter haha.

Also, I left Merle alive in this, cuz I wanted Daryl to have someone when he was public enemy #1. Plus it's fun to try and subtly humanize that one haha. Let me know your thoughts, guys!


	2. Chapter 2

R_S: I'm really excited that people seem to be responding positively to what little they've seen of this story. It makes me feel bad that this is another short scene. Plot should pick up relatively quickly, no worries.

* * *

**Bittersweet**

Carol sighed contentedly as she gazed across the landscape and out over the walkers that shuffled around the other side of the gate, a basin of wet laundry at her feet. Her back was sore from hunching over the makeshift washboard all day; she had been hurting a lot lately. But the sun was warm and the breeze cool. It was a beautiful day, especially for the apocalypse. It was days like these that gave her hope.

"Glenn n' Maggie back yet?" A rough voice cut through her reverie, causing her to jump. She shot Daryl a reproachful look.

"You scared me!" She swatted his stomach with the back of her hand, shooting him a small smile. "No, not yet, but I'm keeping a look-out… you think they're ok?"

He shrugged, "Ain't a complicated run, should be fine."

"I know, it's just…"

Daryl peered down at her out of the corner of his eye, "What is it?" Carol sighed again and shook her head, returning to the wash.

"Beth got in my head is all. She's awfully worried; she was telling me about it while changing Judith this morning.

"'Course she is, they kin n' it's in her nature. She worries anytime someone goes out. M'sure they're fine."

"Not just that. It's the first time they've gone out on their own since the incident with-… with the Governor." There was a moment of silence as she cursed herself, watching his jaw clench.

"With my brother, you mean."

"Daryl-"

"Naw, it's fine, I get it- it's why he's gotta stay in F Cell, ain't it? After all, can't have someone like him wanderin' round everybody; might up n' go on a coldblooded killin' spree."

She shook her head, "Nobody thinks that."

"Could'a fooled me," he snorted. He turned and walked away from her.

"Daryl," she called after him, standing to follow, "I know you're upset-"

"I ain't upset."

"Oh come on, Daryl, I know you-"

He swung around, "No, ya _don't_! Don't think just cuz we talk sometimes you know every goddamn thing in my head, cuz you don't!"

"Daryl!" They turned to see Beth standing there, Judith in her arms crying softly. Her expression was taken aback, matching the tone of her admonishment. He glared but did not yell at her, could not find the fury in himself to. Carol looked down, biting her lip uncertainly, before looking back over at the girl and nodding her head to the small child.

"She ok?"

"Yeah, I was just trying to get her down for a nap, but she couldn't sleep hearin'… everything alright?" That was not entirely true; Beth had heard them arguing and wanted to quiet things down, but it had not bothered Judith. The two friends rarely fought, and they would make up by the next day, but it seemed prudent to end the discussion before Daryl said something he would regret. The subject of Merle had a tendency to make his tongue run away from him.

Carol instantly looked guilty and opened her arms, "Sorry… Yeah, yes, everything is fine. Here, I'll take her sweetie; I need a break before I finish this anyway."

"Oh that's alright; if you wanna put her down, I'll finish up. It's no problem."

"Thanks." Passing off the child, Beth glanced over her should at Daryl, who was pretending not to watch them. She knew he wanted to hold Judith, as he often did when he was upset or needed to think about things, but he would never take her from Carol.

"I'll talk to you later, Daryl." The woman said, glancing over at him sadly. He stewed but nodded jerkily, dismissing her, and she left the two. They stood there studying each other for a long moment.

"Did you need somethin', or are ya just tryin' to annoy me, cuz you're succeedin'." He growled.

"No one's forgotten what Merle did for us, you know. I think-"

"I didn't ask what you _thought_, cuz I don't care. Now I got shit to do, so just… just piss of, will ya?" Hurt flashed through her eyes.

"Daryl…" she reached a hand out to his arm, but he shrugged it off and stalked away.

* * *

R_S: Cranky Daryl was nasty to Beth =(

Actually, a lot of stories start that way haha.


	3. Chapter 3

**Bittersweet**

Heartbroken screams vibrated around her, children's wails cut through the air.

Six dead.

Six innocents lost in an attack, walkers let in through a crudely sawed hole in the fence. Beth tried not to think about it as she soothed the young ones, cradling their heads against her chest and drying the tears for loved ones lost. Across the courtyard, her eyes met Daryl's as he carried the dead out to the edge of the gate with Tyreese, upwind from where Glenn, Maggie, and Carl were burning brained walkers. He gave her a nod of approval. As she had mothered Carl after Lori's passing, so too would she care for the other children, and she did so without needing to be told. It was easy for her, a natural inclination toward motherhood, and most young were fond of her as Judith was. As soon as they had begun crying, the children had rushed to Carol and her, desperate for affection. Beth cared for them with grace beyond her years.

Daryl grunted, pushing away thoughts and laying down the final body. Ms. McLeod had been a bitter, vengeful old woman, but it was still sad to see her go. He wiped the sweat from his brow with the back of a dirty forearm, squinting through the sun to watch Rick's approach. He nodded to him in greeting as Tyreese stood aside.

"Everythin' patched up good?" He asked.

Rick nodded, "Yeah, reinforced that part of the fence too, just to be safe."

"Those cuts, they weren't made with no clippers or nothin'. That chain was sawed through, prolly with a knife or something of the like. Could be the Governor getting' sloppy; maybe he's sacrificin' his grand gestures for desperation."

"Yeah, yeah I know…" he ran a hand through his hair, glancing around at the residents milling about and trying to help as they choked back sobs.

"What is it? You got somethin' on your mind bout this, just come out n' say it."

He sighed and looked Daryl in the eye seriously, "Ain't nobody accusing anyone of anything, I just wanna put that out there… _however_, those cuts look like they might'a been made from the inside. Might not've, but it's a possibility we gotta address, you understand that."

"Yeah…" He watched the cop uncertainly, a sense of foreboding curling into his stomach as he saw where the conversation was headed.

"And where the cut was made, the part of the prison, it-"

"Quit tryin' to spit it out, Rick, I'll just say it for ya. Someone strong n' with a good blade could slip over without bein' seen and get back to the safety of F Block real easy, without breakin' a sweat. That's what yer implyin' ain't it?"

Rick sighed, "Daryl, he didn't come out to help."

"I thought he ain't allowed out of his cell block."

Tyreese gave him a pointed look, "C'mon, Daryl; that's weak and you know it."

"Look," Rick cut in as the other man opened his mouth to give a no doubt scathing retaliation, "no one's gonna go in there guns blazing to attack him. But we gotta know, you understand that."

"So what, you just tellin' me all this as a courtesy? Gee, I'm plum grateful." Daryl spat sarcastically.

"No, we aren't. Y'all need to go talk to him, see if he had something to do with it. No one knows Merle like you do, and if you're certain after talkin' to him that he had nothin' to do with this, we'll trust your judgment. It'll be your call."

"You serious?" He asked. Tyreese looked taken aback at the offer but said nothing.

Rick nodded, "Absolutely."

"Alright… alright, I'll go talk to him."

* * *

R_S: So the drama's picking up haha. I really just wanted this chapter to illustrate Daryl's standing at the prison: how much Rick and the others respect and defer to him and how much he has to lose from a relationship with Beth, even putting up with Merle for his sake... not sure I made that point, but whatever.

Hope you liked! =)


	4. Chapter 4

R_S: Ok, shit's about to finally go down... dun dun DUN!

* * *

**Bittersweet**

**Chapter 4**

People stopped screaming by 9:30, as the Governor's troops rounded them up into cells and held them there. After the loss of Sasha, Karen, and 11 other Woodbury residents, the remaining survivors had lost the majority of their fight. Carol had tried to fight back, but it was too much, exacerbating the cough she had been fighting off for the past couple weeks and the pain that coursed through her bones. She had passed out, but the Woodbury people helped carry her under the supervision of guards, so Hershel might tend to her. They were all being held in Cell Block F, where the Governor found Merle, who had nothing to do with this attack or the last.

"Bring him along," the madman had said, "he more than deserves to be part of this final act." Instead of obediently allowing himself to be taken, Merle fled down the hallways to Cell Block C, the main area where Rick, Daryl, Michonne, Maggie, and Glen waited with weapons drawn to make their final stand. The Governor only laughed at their moxy.

"We ain't gonna surrender." Rick growled evenly.

The Governor smirked, "Then let's make a deal: you all lower your weapons and cooperate; I don't kill any more of the innocents here. You've lost a lot a lot already, are you really willing to sacrifice more for your own stubbornness?"

"You think we're really stupid enough to take that deal?" Merle drawled.

He cocked the gun aimed at the Daryl's head, "Doesn't look like you've got much of a choice. At least if you do as I say some of you have a chance of living… right now the odds aren't much in your favor. So what do you say, Rick? Do more of your people need to die, or can we settle this you and me?" The two stared at each other for a long moment, communicating in understanding. They knew each other, knew how the other operated. Rick lowered his gun.

"… Drop your weapons."

"What?! Rick-"

"I said drop 'em!" The Governor smirked as they all complied.

"Wise decision, Rick. I knew you'd see things my way." Martinez glanced over at his gloating boss nervously. A smart man would have killed his enemies right away, but the Governor was pausing for revelry and theatrics, as his ego demanded. It made Martinez nervous, and he wondered if this ragtag group would discover some sort of downfall for them.

"Alright, we did what ya wanted. Now hows about we settle this just us."

"I'll consider it… how about we move in there," he inclined his head toward the next room, "to break some bread and discuss what you're willing to do to spare your pathetic lives. We already know her death," he gestured to Michonne, "is nonnegotiable, but perhaps I can be persuaded to be more generous with some others on a full stomach." He wouldn't be, but he was playing with them. Rick only glared causing his grin to broaden.

"Shall we?"

"No!" Maggie yelped lowly. Daryl and Glen turned to her questioningly.

"Beth and Judith are in there! Do something." She hissed.

"Wait," Glenn instantly called out, "there are more innocents in there."

The Governor re-cocked his gun, turning it toward the door, "That so?" he asked suspiciously. Daryl glared.

"Leave 'em be, they ain't soldiers or threats to you- just a girl n' a baby."

"A baby may not be a threat, but I've learned better than to underestimate any of the women in your ragtag group. If she's anything like the last three I dealt with, it'd be best to dispose of her quickly." He glanced pointedly at Michonne and Maggie, and Andrea's absence had never been more conspicuous.

"Shit, she ain't. Leave her, or I swear I'll-"

"You're in no position to be making threats, Dixon."

Rick met the Governor's stare, attempting to address the matter diplomatically, "She's innocent, Blake. She never had any part of this; let her join the Woodbury refugees." He stared back at the prison's leader for a long moment, looking contemplative, before finally motioning to his men.

"Secure whoever's in there and make sure she sticks around." He ordered, riling up Daryl and Maggie further.

"You poxy rat bastard!"

"She's one of you, so she's involved in this now; anything that happens to her is _your_ fault. You'd do well to remember that. Wait!" He spun around to face Martinez and Shumpert, "Where's the blond, Andrea?! I can't have her nosing around causing trouble."

"Sir," the soldiers explained calmly, as though this were a regular occurrence, "she's dead; you already killed her months ago. She's not here."

"Yes," he nodded, "yes, yes I did…" he continued to mutter to himself, too low for anyone else to make out.

"Jesus," Merle breathed, "his head's like a puppy in a sack o' cats- you can smell the crazy comin' offa him."

"Shut it, man." Martinez hissed in low warning, before turning away nervously.

Daryl leaned over to his brother and Rick, "At least we know why he suddenly ain't killin' us… any idea how to one up a crazy person?" Rick just shrugged while Merle snorted, and the Governor whipped around. For a moment, they were concerned he had heard them, but he only wished to extend his monologue.

"It was foolish for you all to think you could defeat me, especially you Michonne, after I had been so very generous. If you had just stayed, we could have used someone like you."

"The prisoners are secured, sir." A soldier interrupted. He led them in, walking backwards so as to observe their defeated entrances behind him.

"Ah, excellent! Now, if your lovely group would just follow inside, we can discuss-" It was when he turned and his eyes fell on Beth holding Judith curled protectively against her chest that he froze.

"Sarah…" he breathed, staring at her like the second coming of Christ. He stepped toward her, hand reaching out, and she backed away.

"Don't touch her!" Maggie hissed, moving forward. Martinez's gun stopped her, and the Governor paid no mind. Daryl placed a hand on her shoulder to pull her back slightly and dissuade her from getting herself killed. His eyes watched the distance between the man and Beth darkly, unable to do anything about his concern.

"Sarah… Sarah, you've come back to me- with _Penny_. Oh thank god," his eyes watered, "we're being given a second chance, a fresh start from the beginning…"

"Um, the, uh, the beginning of what, sir?" Shumpert questioned uneasily, Martinez and he shooting each other nervous glances. Daryl noticed and gave the Martinez a questioning look. The other man gave an almost imperceptible shake of the head but otherwise did not acknowledge him.

"Our marriage, Bowman… a chance to raise our child and protect her. Oh god, Sarah, I've missed you so much!" He strode forward taking her into his arms, careful not to crush the baby. "Penny," he murmured, looking down at the tiny pink bundle. His men looked as alarmed as the prison group felt. Beth had frozen in the Governor's arms.

"I don't think you boys have ever had the pleasure of meeting my wife and daughter, have you? No, no I think you'd remember. You can't forget a face like this…" he stroked her hair and gazed at her adoringly, "you girls are even more beautiful than I remember."

"Sir," his soldier began slowly, "Sarah and Penny are dead. They can't come back to you. That girl is one of the prisoners we-" The shot was sudden and loud, causing Beth to scream out as the Governor whipped around. Shumpert's body dropped to the ground, a chunk of his head missing. Judith was sobbing in pain now, the sound hurting her delicate little ears.

He turned the gun on Martinez, "_No one_ threatens my wife, are we clear? Or do you have something to add to that?"

"N-no sir, I'm just waitin' on orders." The man shifted his to look out the corner of his eyes and meet Daryl's concerned gaze.

"Good… Sarah, baby," he turned back to her, "why haven't you said anything to me? Why is she so upset?" The words caught in her through, unwilling to come out.

"ANSWER ME!" The sudden scream made her jump, and the baby cried louder.

"I-I'm just so shocked to see you… she is too. I-it's, um, it's been so long, and she's in a fussy mood, and um…"

"Yes, she always did get fussy this time of year." His hand descended onto her head, stroking it gently, his demeanor melting into calmness as though his fury had never happened.

"STAY AWAY FROM HER!"

"GET YA FILTHY HANDS OFFA HER!"

Rick and Daryl hollered at the man and pushed forward, only to be shoved back by the troops. He flipped around and pointed his gun.

"No!" Beth jumped forward to him, nudging him slightly, falling into character as well as she could, "No, please don't! These men, they took care of me while I was trying to find you, protected me."

"Their deaths have been a long time coming, Sarah-"

"Please… b-baby... I owe them my life. _Please_." He lowered his gun, a far-away look in his eye as he turned back to her, cupping her face with his hand and running his thumb across her cheek.

"Oh darling, I can't say no to you. I've missed you…" he leaned in, burying his head in her neck and placing soft kisses as he ran his hand up and down her back. Beth stiffened and shut her eyes, eyebrows pulling together. A low, animalistic growl escaped Daryl at the sight of that man touching one of his own, causing Merle to eye him from the side, while Rick and Glenn looked sick. Michonne looked angry and stoic as ever. Martinez looked away from the scene in discomfort, his gun dropping slightly. In a cloud of fury, Maggie took her opening.

She screamed out, shoving the listless gun from her way and jumping grabbing onto the Governor's hand, trying to wrestle away the gun. His men held the others back from helping as their leader took her down swiftly. Using her moment against her, he flipped her around against the table, bringing down the metal of the gun to crush her hand. An audible crack cut through the room, punctuated by her sister's scream. It lay disfigured at her side, elbow twisted at an odd angle.

"MAGGIE!" The woman cried out in pain, choking back sobs as her fiancé tried in vain to reach her.

"You stupid bitch." The Governor cocked the gun and aimed it at her head. Beth sobbed, tears running unbidden down her cheeks as she clutched Judith tighter.

"No, no please don't; don't kill her, please! Ple~ase…" She choked over her words in desperation.

"I'm taking you from this wretched place, Sarah! No one is taking you from me again-"

"They won't! I promise, they won't- I'll leave with you, right now. We can go away, if that's what you want, but only if you spare them. If you kill anybody, I-I'll never forgive you." He turned to her and moved to embrace her once more, leaving Maggie a crumpled heap on the floor trying to cradle her hand.

"We're leaving, Sarah… We can go be a family again, just the three of us."

"Then leave these people be. This is over now; we'll go back to Woodbury and build a life there." He froze, cocking his head and staring down at her, and his grip tightened painfully.

"How do you know about Woodbury? You never got to see it."

"T-they told me about it, when they were helping me find you. I've been waiting to see it with you." He continued to watch her calculatingly for another moment before relaxing once more. He pressed his forehead to hers.

"I can't wait to show it to you, sweetheart. It needs some rebuilding, but it's beautiful; the perfect home for us in this new world."

"Then promise me, Gov- Philip. Promise me you will spare these people, so I can be happy." His eye stared into hers for a moment.

"Martinez," he called out, not moving his eyes from her, "keep weapons trained on them until we've left the facility. After that, meet us back at base… we're moving back into Woodbury."

"Yessir." The soldier answered softly, unable to bring himself to watch as his boss led the young girl from the room. Beth looked over her shoulder and watched her family as she left. The last thing she saw was Daryl's deep blue eyes staring back and the silent promise they held that he _would_ save her.

He did not need to say the words for her to trust him.

* * *

R_S: So I'm no good at writing action scenes, which is why there aren't going to be a lot of them in this story. A lot of action happens, but it's mostly going to be recounted and alluded to. T'is simply not my forte.

So now that Beth and Judith are gone, how are they gonna save them? Dramatic! haha please leave a review =)


	5. Chapter 5

R_S: Super short scene this time, I think the shortest in the story.

* * *

**Bittersweet**

It was half an hour later that the Governor's troops finally moved out of the facility, leaving in a large group. Martinez turned back to Daryl as they left, glancing behind him as he surreptitiously lowered his gun.

"I'll do what I can for your girls," he whispered, meeting the blue eyes seriously, "keep 'em safe anyway I can. I'm, uh, I'm sorry this happened." Daryl glared back.

"If you really wanna help, why didn't ya shoot that crazy asshole when he had his hands all over her."

He shook his head, "That man's lost it, and as dangerous as he was before, now that he's not lucid, it's ten times worse. You saw what he did to Shumpert, my _friend_; I can't risk that."

"Well then, don't expect to be spared when we murder his ass." The soldier cocked his head, looking past him at the ragtag bunch before looking him up and down.

"You really think you can take him down?"

"When we _do_ take him down, he's gonna suffer for e'rythin' he's done to our family- especially for those girls." A long silence stretched out between the men as Daryl stared with conviction and Martinez studied him curiously.

"… I'll try to look out for them."

* * *

R_S: So who trusts Martinez haha?

I'm really appreciating all the positivity about this story; I had a really good time writing it. If anyone's wondering, it's just about done- I have about 100 pages written all together and everything planned out. I just have to finish the last 3 or so scenes. So if you wanna make any predictions, be my guest. And please keep up the amazing reviews; they all put a smile on my face!


	6. Chapter 6

R_S: Sorry I missed a day, guys! The end of the week got a l'il cray-cray.

* * *

**Bittersweet**

The evening was hot, even as the sun escaped under the horizon, and morose as the camp worked to rebuild itself, still shaken to the core. It had been over 60 hours since two of their own had been taken, abducted by a delusional mad man. They needed a plan, a way to infiltrate Woodbury, but so many people were injured or killed, there was no solid plan that would not get them killed. Rick and Daryl could not just take off right then; the other inhabitants of the prison were scared and needed guidance. Their leaders couldn't abandon them to be vulnerable at such a time, even if they wanted nothing more than to burst in with guns blazing, as the redneck insisted. But until at least Michonne's ankle healed, they did not stand a chance, and Rick felt they needed to approach this logically- if they had any chance of saving his daughter and Beth, he said, they would need to bide their time wisely. He and Daryl were arguing about the issue for far from the first time when they were interrupted.

"Rick, Daryl! There's a truck coming up to the gate, looks like one of the Governor's, but it's waving a white flag!" Glen called out, jogging from the guard tower. Merle snorted from where he was being made to help repair part of the second fence.

"That's his old trick, wavin' a white flag t'get ya to let your guard down, then while he charms ya his men let loose the heavy artillery. You best shoot that driver, boy."

Rick looked at him, "Is that true?"

"Been party to it myself once or twice, took out an entire military convoy that way." Maggie glared at him.

"You're sick."

"War ain't perty, princess, and this here's war."

"Yeah, that's great," Glenn continued, "but this isn't the Governor, it's Martinez, and now he's waiting at the gate attracting a whole lot of walker attention." Rick sighed heavily, and looked out at the truck in the distance.

"Let him in."

"What?" Daryl demanded, "You cannot be serious!"

"Either that or we got a truck overrun by walkers blockin' our exit. Let him in, but I want guns trained on him at all times- one wrong move, blow his goddamn head off."

"He's got Judith!" Tyreese's voice cut in from across the yard, where he was already opening the gate, "He brought Judith back!" It was the first glimmer of hope in what seemed like a lifetime and the first positive tone the man had taken since his sister's death. They sprinted to the parking truck, crossbows and guns at the ready as Martinez exited the vehicle. Merle hung back, sauntering towards the group with a knowing smirk on his features. Martinez cradled the baby expertly as he climbed out, arms supporting her like it was the most natural thing in the world for him. Somewhere in the back of his mind, Daryl remembered that the man once had a family. He looked between all the weapons, head tilted up proudly as he adjusted the precious cargo in his arms.

"You can take her; I'm not tryin' to pull anything." Rick glanced to Daryl. His second in command gave a nod, allowing him to lower his gun and take his daughter. He took her gently before darting back, supporting her with one arm and using the other to raise his gun.

Martinez backed away, arms raised, "I'm not here for any trouble; your girl- name's Beth right? She sent me, I swear."

Daryl snorted, "Yeah? Likely story. Where is she?"

"It's true; I told you I'd do what I could, and I _did_, but there was no way I was gettin' out with both of them. I was gonna bring that girl Beth back, but she insisted I take the baby instead."

"So you _left_ her?" Maggie demanded, tears filling her eyes. She stepped forward, pushing his chest with her one good hand, "Where is she? _Where is she_? Tell me!" Her fist pounded on him, but the man did not defend himself. Gun still trained on the newcomer, Glenn reached an arm out to pull her to his chest, allowing her to curl into him and sob there, mumbling "I just want my sister back…" Martinez looked away, gritting his jaw.

"There was nothing I could do. I wanted to get her outta there; she was in so much more danger than that baby, but-"

"What do you mean?"

"He checks on the tyke maybe once a day, sometimes tries to hold her, but that girl runs interference like a goddamn football player; keeps him away. He spends most of his time in his apartment with her… she's, uh, she's not allowed to leave there. It's why your baby was so easy to take." Maggie sobbed harder, and Daryl cursed graphically, turning to kick a rock away angrily. It skipped and rolled until it made contact with Merle's foot, causing Daryl's eyes to lift and make contact with his brother's, which had been fixed on him. He had been watching him like that a lot, trying to figure out his place in the group, Daryl figured.

"What's he gonna do when he finds out she's missing?" Rick asked, looking down at his baby girl as though trying to commit every detail of her face to memory.

Martinez shook his head, "I dunno, man… I don't really wanna think about it. He won't realize until at least morning; they put her down for bed, and she always insists to be the one to check on her at night, tries to keep him away from her. But that means when he figures it out, he's gonna know she had something to do with it. Things are gonna get a lot worse for that little girl." Daryl tried not to think about what 'worse' meant for how bad things were for her already. Rick stared Martinez down.

"Then you're gonna just have to help us get her back, so it don't come to that."

"Oh _hell_ no; I took my life in my hands to help you guys out, no way I'm going back there! Look, I'm willing to pull my weight and do whatever around her to earn a place with you guys- you seem a lot less crazy than the Governor. But I won't go back there

"Never pegged ya for a chicken-shit spick, Martinez." Merle drawled. The man glared back.

"I'm not chicken shit, I just have a goddamn sense of self-preservation. I feel sorry for her, I really do, but I can't put my neck on the line _again_ for some chick I don't even know."

"Yeah?" Daryl demanded, "N' what if it was _yer_ wife n' kid held back there?"

Martinez recoiled, looking at Rick with new eyes, "She's his _wife_?" Daryl got a bit hotter under the collar.

"No, she ain't nobody's wife, least of all that dipshit Governor's, but she's someone's daughter n' someone's sister n' a part of _my_ family, so you best be thinkin' bout how you gonna help us!"

"Look, I'll help you plan whatever you need, but I won't go back there. Kick me out if that's not good enough, but that decision is final."

Rick sighed, running a hand over his hair, "Shit… alright, Tyreese, why don't you take our new _friend_ here to Block F and lock him down. Maggie, you get your dad. We'll meet up in C n' discuss what we're gonna do."

"I'm already here, Rick," Hershel hobbled toward them, "I came as soon as I heard, just takes me a bit longer to get there. I would suggest Mr. Martinez remain, however; his insight might be useful." He turned to the newcomer, "Thank you for helping fix my family." It only served to make his expression guiltier.

"I'm sorry I couldn't do more. I lost my family in all this too, and I… I wanna help get your little girl back."

"Good," Rick nodded, "cuz we need to figure out exactly what we're gonna do bout Beth."

"I say we bust in there," Daryl said immediately, "n' rip him a new asshole. Without the li'l ass kicker there, we ain't gotta worry bout hitting one of our own; Beth's smart as a whip, she'll get down n' outta the way."

"No, it's still too risky."

"Before I left, I tried to tell her to take him out," Martinez offered, "get him when his guard's down, but I dunno how much she absorbed. And he's gotten paranoid since the Andrea thing, no weapons in his quarters in anyone's reach but his."

Maggie shook her head, "Even if she could get her hands on one, Beth ain't capable of that- she's not a killer."

"Shit, the girl's damn helpless." Merle muttered. His brother fixed him with a glare.

"She's not weak, she just can't kill a man; there ain't no shame in that."

"Even if she was more of a fighter, we're out-manned." Glenn pointed out, "The Governor has way more men than us, and we've lost 19 people in these last 2 attacks."

Hershel shook his head sadly, "20. This morning, Danny succumbed to his bullet wound... and Carol's still bed ridden."

"Goddamnit!" Daryl picked up a rock and threw it. Rick groaned.

"This is bad… we're vulnerable right now, we've lost a third of our people."

"Well I ain't losin' her too. I'm gettin' Beth back, or Imma die tryin'."

Maggie placed her uninjured hand on Daryl's arm, gazing up at him with watery eyes, "Thank you."

"Carol will be waiting for you when you get back," Hershel assured him, meeting his gaze in a steadfast stare, "I promise."

"I'm coming too." Glenn asserted, "And I'm sure Michonne wants some part of this."

"We're still outmanned," Rick stated, "Tyreese isn't any use to us while he's mourning his sister, he's way too distracted, and we need someone here to hold the fort anyway. A four man team just ain't gonna cut it."

"I think you mean five man team, officer friendly." Merle cut in, standing from his lazy leaning position.

Even Daryl looked taken aback, "Merle, _you're_ comin'?"

"Y'all wouldn't last a second without me, little brother; ain't got the balls to go rescuin' damsels in distress like some goddamn prince charming. 'Sides, I'm goin' damn stir-crazy in this shit-hole."

Maggie scoffed, "You can't possibly trust him to-"

"No, no this actually could work." Rick cut her off, shaking a finger thoughtfully, "By tomorrow, Michonne should be healed up enough to come, and she knows her way around Woodbury. Merle does too, and with the new information Martinez can give us, we might be able to get in and out without losing anybody, provided we got a good enough distraction."

"Well ain't it yer lucky day that diversion are my specialty."

"Then you're comin'. But you put one goddamn _toe_ outta line, n' Imma put a bullet in your skull, Daryl's brother or not." A long silence stretch out.

"Alright, beaner," Merle grinned, turning to Martinez, "I think it's time you drew us a neat little map."

* * *

R_S: Oh Merle, ever a racist. Next time: the dramatic rescue! Ok, not that dramatic-again, I'm not talented at action sequences...

Leave a lovely review! =)


	7. Chapter 7

R_S: So I guess this is one's for DarylDixon'sLover and Steffy2106. I think this chapter will be up your alley ;p

* * *

**Bittersweet**

**Chapter 7**

The next night found them huddled just outside Woodbury, the gates looking a little worse for wear since their last visit.

"Alright Michonne- you know the layout better'n anybody else. Take Daryl and get Beth from the Governor's quarters. Glenn, Merle, n' I'll run interference."

"You sure it's a good idea to take Merle out from under Daryl's eye? He seems to be the only one who can make him behave…" Glenn muttered, eyeing the mercenary suspiciously. He snorted.

"Relax, ping-pang panda; I promise I ain't gonna double cross ya 'til my baby brother's back safe n' sound, kay?"

"For the last time, I'm _Korean_-"

"Stop it, both of you! Get going, now!" With the noise of their three comrades in the distance, Michonne and Daryl lurked through the shadows between buildings.

"It's through here," she motioned by inclining her head, "but we don't know if he's in there or not."

Daryl drew his crossbow, "Cover me, I'll head in first." They made their way silently up through the building to the Governor's apartment. He turned to look at his companion, as though to ask if she was ready, and she gave him a nod of confirmation, which he returned. Looking back at the door, he counted to three in his head before delivering a swift kick to the lock, busting it and sending the door swinging violently wide open. He scanned the room quickly, finger itching on the trigger, but it was empty…except for Beth.

She sat up at the sudden entry, blond hair falling messily around her, down for the first time he had ever seen. The only covering she had was a thin sheet clutched up to her chest, falling in front of her but covering only the essentials. Her eyes were wide and fearful, though they relaxed as they fell on his form. Despite being cleaner than she had been since the farm, everything about her appeared more worn. She had aged in those short days and obviously suffered. Her cheek and the side of her lip were slightly swollen, and his eyes fell to the hand holding the sheet, its wrist looped with bruises. He turned his head away from her, blushing, and coughed, though not before he caught a hand shaped bruise out of the corner of his eye, its expanse decorating her hip.

"Michonne, get 'er dressed; we gotta move fast." The woman slipped in, sheathing her blade, and Daryl closed the door behind her.

"You came back for me…"

"Of course we did." Daryl said gruffly but gently, still turned away. He could feel Michonne's eyes flick to him, but ignored it.

"Do you know where your clothes are?" He did not hear the girl's response, but he assumed she shook her head, since the next thing Michonne said was, "Then we'll have to make do wit what the Governor has; we'll get ya somethin' else when we can." Again, Daryl assumed she nodded, since there was no sound other than Michonne rooting through drawers. Without thinking, she captured the older woman in a hug as she handed over a bundle of linens, before donning what she could quickly. In moments, she was dressed in one of the Governor's shirts. There were no pants that would stay up, but luckily he was about a foot taller than her, so she could stay decently covered for the time being.

"It'll have to do." At Michonne's defeated tone, Daryl turned to look and dropped his gaze almost immediately. The girl had legs like a gazelle, and seeing her in that vile man's shirt left a sour taste in his mouth and a pit in his stomach.

The blond chewed her lip fretfully, "I sent Martinez back-"

"Yeah, him n' the li'l ass kicker're back safe n' sound; y'did good. Now c'mon, let's get outta here. Stay close to me. Michonne, bring up the rear." Both nodded obediently, but before he could open the door, the blond's arms captured him from behind.

"Thank you." Her voice was a light whisper.

He gave her arm a squeeze, "You can thank me when I get ya back home safe. Let's move, we ain't got much time." They slunk back out the way they came, Beth yanking down the hem of her shirt, mindful of the Governor's men. Daryl took most of them out silently, before they even saw the trio. The closest call was a burly soldier that came seemingly out of nowhere while they were distracted, meaty fist shooting out to grab Beth's frail arm. She reacted instantly, jamming her hand up to hit him in the nose. Though it did little damage, she did loosen her grip, and her yelp alerted Daryl to the necessity of his rescue. He dislodged the man with a firmer punch, and Michonne made short work of him.

"Shh…" he quieted Beth as soon as the man was put down, though she was not making any more noise, "you ok?" She was shivering and a couple of tears had escaped her big eyes, which looked darker than normal in the low light of the night, but she made no noise and wore an expression of determination. She nodded once, though without meeting his gaze.

"We're almost there." He assured her stoicly. Within minutes, they were sliding around some overturned debris, the sound of their approach alerting his brother to their presence.

"Oh look, Li'l Bo Peep's back!" Merle grinned, shooting down some more guards, "I think ye read the nursery rhyme wrong, darlin'; it's yer sheep that're supposed to get lost, not you." He turned and got a good look at her. "Well I'll be damned…if y'all are tryin' t' seduce me, it's workin'. Remind me to look this li'l thing up when we get back to camp, little brother."

Daryl growled, "Shut it, Merle. Where's Rick n' Glenn?"

"They went after the Gov'nor. Turns out Grimes' ankle-biter is a stow-away; climbed into the trunk n' followed us up here. He's coverin' from them trees while they deal with the big man himself; brought some home-made dynamite for whatever hole he's hidin' out in."

"Carl's here?!" Beth asked, alarmed, instantly turning to Daryl. "You gotta go keep an eye on him; he shouldn't be up there by himself."

"Then who's gonna watch you?"

"I'll go to him," Michonne cut in as Merle handed her a gun, "you stay here with your brother and Beth." She slipped away with the grace of a wildcat.

"Beth, you remember how to shoot?" Daryl asked, handing her a piece of her own. Her hand shook slightly as she took it.

"I know the basics, but I'm not very good. Haven't shot at a walker before, let alone a person."

"Shit- alright, just… just stay down n' if anyone comes near ya, y' point it n' pull the trigger. Got it?" She nodded nervously but hunkered down, and Daryl moved to stand next to his brother and continue the exchange of bullets.

"Look at us," Merle smirked, "rescuin' the princess like a couple'a big damn heroes… I could get used t'it."

"Yeah…" he said, thinking about the effort it took to tear his eyes away from Beth's naked form, "we're regular knights in shinin' armor."

From afar, an explosion cut through the air, and a building fell.

* * *

R_S: Kudos if anyone gets the reference I slipped into the dialogue haha. Hope you all liked it!


	8. Chapter 8

R_S: Ok, so here it is: where the story really starts to get to the point. This is the first chapter that focuses on Daryl and Beth's interactions and the potential growth for their relationship... I'm super nervous, and I hope you guys like it. Please let me know if you do!

* * *

**Bittersweet**

**Chapter 8**

The reunion of the Greene family could not have been a happier one. Sobbing tears of joy, Maggie enveloped her baby sister in the most smothering hug imaginable, and when he saw her, Hershel had started to cry. Carol hurried after with a warm blanket to hide her relative nakedness before many others saw. Glenn had insisted in covering his 'little sister's' legs during the ride back, so her lap had been wrapped tightly in Daryl's vest, the sides tucked beneath her skinny legs, but she had still shivered. Daryl only had to threaten Merle once to stop his offers to 'warm' her. Instead his brother busied himself observing the both of them and even offered her a cigarette. He was uncharacteristically tame, but everyone was too tired and too relieved to really question it. With Beth home safe and the Governor dead, blown up along with the hole he was hiding in, the atmosphere of the prison was one of celebration and revelry, only tinged by the somberness of mourning the dead.

But not for Daryl. Heaviness filled his gut, the image of Beth's tiny blond form defeated and nude preoccupied his thoughts. Merle's usual raucous brand of humor did not help, bringing his mind back to the reason he had such an exciting night in the first place. He really should have moved the li'l ass kicker and her to a safe area when the Governor showed up. He knew it, but he had been so caught up in delusions of revenge that he had put them both in danger. Look where that had landed Beth.

The night found him wandering through the halls of the prison, looking for anything to distract himself from such thoughts. It was late, so most were in their cots asleep or at least resting. The only person he came across what Michonne, her lithe body stretched out against a wall and her smooth skin glistening in the moonlight. She stared at him as he approached, and he stared back.

"It'll be hard for her, no denying that, but Beth will be alright someday." She said simply, "What happened ain't yo fault." The way she cut to the point was unnerving.

"What d'ya want?" He snapped.

"Don't want nothin' from you, but you gotta stop the way you're thinkin' right now."

"How would y' know, you don't know nothin' about me."

Uncharacteristically, she placed a hand on his shoulder. "When we found Beth, the way you reacted… Carol is right; you're a good man, Daryl Dixon." Removing her hand, she turned and walked away, "Don't let the world take that from you."

"You don't know shit!" He called after her, but she didn't look back. Her voice, however, did drift through the hall.

"She's sittin' in the canteen if ya wanna talk to her n' see for yourself."

No, he decidedly did not want to see for himself. He had already royally screwed his one responsibility of keeping Judith and her safe, and once they were back home, they were none of his concern. He did not do pussy emotional shit. What did he have to offer her at that point? Going to the cafeteria would be stupid, utterly pointless.

But his feet had carried him there. Seeing her sitting by herself, blond hair shining in the dull light, she looked utterly lost and alone. He felt compelled to seek out her company.

"Mind if I join ya?" Beth jumped at his unexpected voice, looking up at him curiously. A moment later she turned back to the nothingness she had been staring at and shook her head.

"Not at all." Daryl leaned up against the wall and looked out the window at the night, but her stillness was oddly unsettling.

"Hey," He called to her, voice low and gruff, "you ok?"

She nodded, "Yeah… yeah, I'm fine."

"I find that hard to believe."

"I'm doing as well as can be expected, then."

He looked at her from the corner of his eye, "That ain't really settin' the bar so high."

"I dunno," she shrugged, avoiding the line of questioning, "I never thought you were one for talkin' about your feelings."

"'Not, but you're no good to us if you don't feel safe 'nough to focus."

"Believe me, Daryl, I'm gettin' enough talks about feelings from Maggie. I'm fine."

"People only say they're fine when they ain't."

She sighed, "Really, it wasn't so bad… for the most part he saw me as his dead wife somehow come back to him and treated me like that. When he was delusional, it was creepy but not too bad. I'm thankful, really. It could'a been a lot worse."

"Were there times when he didn't think you was her?"

"Sort of… not like he thought I was me but like he was upset at things that were wrong, things that were different about her. I saw a picture of her, tried to look similar to keep from settin' him off. But my hair's lighter than hers was, and my face is rounder. I couldn't let him look me in the eyes too long or he'd get agitated. They weren't the right shade, I guess; not blue enough. Hers were bright, like yours…" She stared distractedly into his eyes. He shifted uncomfortably but made no effort to break the eye-contact, feeling too guilty to turn away from her first. Finally her gaze dropped, and he was no longer staring into their steely grey depths.

She shrugged, "At least I got a nice hot shower n' a soft bed."

"I think I'd still have rather been here with our family."

"Well that wasn't really an option, was it?" She snapped with uncharacteristic shortness. "Sorry… that was uncalled for. I'm just… on edge."

"Y'got a right to be."

"… Is it crazy that I right now all I wanna do is talk to Sasha? I was never really close to her, but now that she's gone, I just want some low-key girl talk. I'm real sorry she's gone."

Daryl shook his head, "That wasn't your fault. You saved a hell lot more people that day, never doubt that."

Beth shrugged, looking around the room, "Maybe…" He followed her eyes around and suddenly realized they were in the room where it all happened. _This_ was where she had been taken.

"Maybe ya shouldn't be in here."

"It's where we eat, where I usually take Judith to play… I gotta get used to bein' here, and I figured now was as good a time as any."

He coughed uncomfortably as he searched for the right thing to say, "But if y' ain't ready-"

"Look, I'm ok." She told him, "I'm really ok." He shrugged.

"Your call."

"I can't live my life in fear. I'm no use to anybody that way… least of all Judith."

"I, uh, I didn't mean what I said 'bout you bein' no good to us," he stuttered, feeling guilty, "shouldn't'a said it."

"I know you didn't, but that doesn't make it any less true."

Daryl turned to look at her, "What you did for her was great, Beth. Don't go sellin' yourself short. You put yourself at risk n' prolly saved her life. You made some tough decisions, and ain't nobody can fault you for them."

"Huh… that's what Rick said, too… was kind of him, considering I lost his daughter. She would'a been better with someone else."

"We're both sayin' it cuz it's true. Yer tougher'n ya think, I think you showed that this week. With a li'l work, you could start takin' on some new stuff round these parts- when you're ready. I can, uh, I can train ya with the guns some more, when you're feelin' up to it, get you ready to take on more walkers. You think ya ain't good enough to protect the baby, but you could protect this whole family."

"I think we both know that's not gonna happen."

"What makes ya say that?"

She shrugged, "I'm just not made to go on runs. Some people can do that; lay their lives on the line for the greater good and stare death in the face without hesitation. I'm not like that. I'd get myself and my friends killed at some point, I know it." Daryl shifted uncomfortably and opened his mouth, but she cut him off. "You don't need to say anything; we both know it's true. It's fine. We can't all be warriors like you and Michonne. I can be useful here, helpin' you all so you can focus on keepin' us safe. That's how I can make a difference, the only way, but I'm ok with that. Really."

He stared at her for a moment, taking her in. She was so blasé about it, the way she stated her purpose so simply and the resigned expression on her face. On anyone else it would seem defeated, but not on Beth. She accepted things, understood them. She did not have some inflated sense of worth or seek validation to the point of risking her life and others' when someone else was more suited to deal with it. It was funny… he had judged her as weak and pathetic back on the farm for giving up, considering ending things after she had led such an perfect life up to that point. But now, sitting before him, she was the most well-adjusted person he had ever met, especially compared to him. It was a stark juxtaposition.

Daryl had never met anyone more different than him than Beth Greene. Where he was blunt, she was gentle; where he was aggressive, she was passive. She was blessed with a fairytale perfect childhood on an idyllic farm, while his was a nightmare. Her accent was a lilting, just barely there southern edge that delicately colored her words and could probably be lost easily. He spoke like a backwater redneck. He was rough around the edges and had a bitch of an attitude problem, but she was soft and sweet. He was on the front-lines, killing walkers and going to war with the Governor, while she held the fort back home, caring for the sick, the young, and the wounded and preparing things people like him might need.

"I'm happy to stay here." She reiterated.

He licked his lips. "Well… we can still train a bit if you'd want to, if it'd make ya feel safe." She looked up at him and a tired but genuine smile grew on her pretty face.

"I'd like that," she said, "but you better make sure not to train me _too_ well. If I don't need you to rescue me, you might be out of a job." He snorted, and she giggled.

"Somehow, I ain't too concerned."

"You shouldn't be… thank you, Daryl, for coming for me. I didn't wanna get my hopes up, didn't count myself as important enough to warrant risking everybody's lives."

"Don't thank me. You shouldn't been taken in the first place."

She shook her head, "I won't be the last to face something like this in this world, and others have faced so much worse." This girl was so much different than the child that had tried to kill herself at the farm. She was all grown-up, and the realization did not hit Daryl like he thought it would. He thought he kind of always knew she was, just never really thought about it. Beth was still his to protect.

"That don't make it ok… I should'a watched you better, stopped him from taking you."

"It's not your fault. There was nothing you could do."

"But I'm sorry-… I'm sorry that happened to you." His voice was low and heavy, a guarded mix of practiced aloofness and guilty emotion he could not keep from seeping in. His eyes found hers in the darkness and found them looking through him.

"It's not your fault." She said again. "It means a lot that you would come get me at all."

"Like I said, ain't nothin' to thank me for- I wouldn't'a left you, girl. Yer needed back here, by your sis n' yer daddy, by the li'l ass kicker… by all of us. You make a venison stew better'n anyone else in this god forsaken shithole." That earned a laugh.

"I think I knew that." She admitted. "I hoped you'd come, cuz if anyone came it'd be you, and I kinda knew you would. You're good like that, always have been. We'd be lost without you… _I'd_ have been lost without you."

She was needed on the homestead, and it sunk slowly into his gut that Beth needed him just as much as he needed her. It was the first time in his life he had been depended on, and this group very much depended on him. That baby, his li'l ass kicker, she would have died if not for his efforts, or Beth's for that matter. And this tiny blond woman, she needed him almost as much. She could maintain a base just fine, care for everyone there and plan and prepare for a lot, but she needed someone like him to keep her safe. Judith had Rick and Carl and plenty of other people she could depend on. She was the camp's pride and joy. But Beth? Beth only had her daddy and her sister, and they could only do so much to help her. Half the time, he kind of figured they did more harm than good, downplaying her potential and dismissing her input. Glenn just followed their lead. Only Carol and he seemed to foster any grit, and Carol was in no position to offer support those days. There was only him.

Being needed like that, it was addictive, and some part of him resolved to spend more time with Beth for just that reason. Merle had his drugs, Daryl had this.


	9. Chapter 9

R_S: This little scene was fun to write =)

* * *

**Bittersweet**

The guard tower was stuffy in the mid-afternoon air, the early summer sun beating down unforgivingly. Daryl squinted, staring out across the field as he tried to tune out the moans that drifted up to his station (the walkers had been agitated by a new group of stragglers that arrived at the prison), the motion causing a bead of sweat to drip from his temple. He kicked the wall for the umpteenth time, before turning to fiddle with his bow and check its balance. He was out of cigarettes. From behind him, he heard the sounds of someone making their way up the ladder to join him, their gun occasionally banging against its metal. Moments later, Glenn swung the door open, wincing from the oppressive heat in the room.

"Whacha want?" Daryl asked turning away.

"Brought you some water; Beth's worried about everyone in the guard towers in this weather. She just about banished me from inside until I brought this out." He grumbled, as the other man took the canteen and drank greedily from it, "Y'know sometimes it surprises me how she and Maggie are related… other times, it's obvious. I wonder how I'm going to hold my own as part of that family sometimes."

"Hn, thanks." Daryl only smirked at his misfortune as he took a drink. He expected the Korean to retreat back to the relative coolness of the cell block, his mission having been carried out, but instead Glenn remained, falling into a surprisingly companionable silence for a few minutes until Glenn once again tried to strike up an awkward conversation.

"Speaking of marriage," Glenn adjusted the gun strap on his shoulder, "you ever heard of the term 'take an arrow to the knee?'"

Daryl did not turn to look at him, spitting sunflower shells. "What is 'somethin' you're gonna do if ya don't leave me the hell alone.' I ain't playin' jeopardy with you; I'd rather be outside with the damn walkers."

Glenn continued on as though he had not just been threatened with bodily harm, "It's an old Nordic saying, means to get married. The whole arrow thing just made me think of you… um, it's why you're supposed to get down on one knee when you propose, like you've actually been shot in the knee- except, I mean, I didn't. Get down on one knee, I mean- not that I've been shot, that hasn't happened either-"

"Is there a reason you're tellin' me all this, or do you just feel like gettin' punched in the face?"

"I want you to be my best man."

"What?" Daryl turned to look at him in disbelief.

"You've saved my life so many times, Maggie's too. It makes sense, and after everything with Beth a few weeks ago, I- … you're just the one that should be up there with me."

"I, uh, didn't even know you were havin' a ceremony."

"Yeah, turns out Bart can officiate, even did a couple back at Woodbury. We don't wanna wait any longer, and now's the time to do it. After everything that's happened, we were thinking it might be a good way to take everyone's mind off things and give them a little hope. So will you do it?"

"Wouldn't Rick be a better choice? I mean, he's done a whole lot-"

"He's gonna be a groomsman, but I mean, I'd like it if you were the best man. We both would, for everything you've done for this family."

"I, um… sure, yeah."

"Awesome." Glenn opened his arms, and Daryl pointed his crossbow.

"Don't touch me. Man, I already regret this decision."

Glenn just laughed.


	10. Chapter 10

R_S:This chapter's coming to you late, because I had apartment issues... I'm a moron.

* * *

**Bittersweet**

The wedding ended up not happening for nearly a month. Carol's health had taken a turn for the worse, and they did not want to celebrate at such a time, despite her protests. There were a couple nights where it seemed like they might be saying their goodbyes. After a few weeks, however, she pulled through and let Maggie run ideas by her for what little things they could do to make the ceremony a more traditional wedding set-up. By the time it rolled around, she was not well enough to be in the wedding party but physically able to attend. Tyreese carried her to a room in Cell Block B that had been sparsely decorated. A chair reserved just for her was front row center.

The ceremony itself was short, only about fifteen minutes long, but it was lovely. Hershel escorted Maggie down the aisle as best he could, her wedding dress fashioned out of some old clothes, linens, and curtains sewn together to look like intentional tiers. It was hideous but beautiful. Rick looked almost as proud as Hershel to watch Glenn, observing with a warm grin. All it took was watching Carl carry Judith down the aisle as a flower girl to get Daryl to smirk a bit, earning a wink from Carol. The maid of honor, Beth, smiled at him from across the way, exchanging the ring for her sister's bouquet of dandelions and flowery weeds when the time came. Daryl was surprised he did not drop the ring he was supposed to hand over. He could feel Merle smirking mockingly at him from the back row, expecting it, as he was allowed to attend for his part in rescuing Beth (Rick's ruling, not Glenn or Maggie's, but they refused to let him ruin the big day). That smirk only grew after Glenn and Maggie were pronounced man and wife, and the wedding party paired off to exit down the aisle.

Honestly, he was a little relieved that if he had to be in the wedding party without Carol, he got to walk with Beth. They had been talking occasionally since that night he brought her back. None of the conversations had been nearly as serious, but the two had developed a repertoire. She was more comfortable around him now, often seeking out his company when others treated her too delicately for having suffered, and he found that under her shyness and soft-spoken domestic inclination, she had an insightful and wise mind. He hoped to foster that more, have her develop her sharp wit to better strategize for the group. As she had mentioned to him, she was not made of the stuff for conflict and runs, but she was cunning enough to plan them- smarter than him at least. And perfect for holding the fort, she had a comforting manner about her. Being in front of all those people was far from ideal for Daryl, but she managed to soothe him easily. It would have been almost fine if not for the expression Merle kept shooting.

Looking down at the blond on his arm, he gave her a smirk of his own. "I figured y'd be cryin', your only sister's wedding n' all."

"I guess I'm just too happy to cry." She smiled softly, turning away to blow a kiss at one of the children excited to wave at her. "You clean up nice, by the way."

"Oh, uh, thanks… you ain't half bad either." It was somewhat true- her hair had been neatened for the evening, and some old dime store make-up had been applied to hers and all the other women's features. There was no way they could afford the time or energy to create bridesmaid dresses, so Beth had cheekily suggested garbage bags or sheet togas, but Maggie shot it down laughing. Instead they all just looked neat, some kind of a flower tucked on their person, just as the groomsmen had some sort of flower tucked into their shirt.

The room dissolved into dancing and laughter, people singing raucously to give everyone something to move to. Beth sang the first few, before retreating by her sister to rest. Beside them, Tyreese told a story from Sasha's and his childhood involving a toad, 3 yards of fishing line, a blender, 2 puppies, a backed-up toilet, and their Great-Aunt Lola, a bittersweet smile on his face. Glenn and Maggie laughed readily at the tale, as fully enthralled as everyone else around, sides in stitches. She grabbed her sister's arm, delivering a big, affectionate kiss to her cheek.

"What was that for?" Beth asked.

"Everything… I love you. Thanks for helpin' with all this, really. I know it was probably silly and a waste of time, but it means the world. Despite everythin', today really is the happiest day of my life." Giving Beth's cheek a final caress, a hint of something sad in her eyes, she allowed Glenn to pull her away and onto the dance floor, as a small but growing cluster of people attempted to recall the steps to some line-dancing. The blond was left alone and shrunk back toward the wall, near the Dixon brothers.

Merle greeted her customarily ("Evenin' Li'l Bo Peep.") but excused himself almost immediately ("I gotta take a piss."). As he left, his younger counterpart watched her out of the corner of his eye curiously, noting the uneasy, shallow rise and fall of her chest.

"Daryl," she called softly, "remember the night you brought me back, when we talked and I said I was ok?"

"Yeah?" He grunted.

Her eyes began to fill with tears. "I'm not ok." Hearing the waver in her voice, he looked over and saw the beginnings of her breakdown, and he began to panic.

"Shit- Beth, I-…" She had begun to hyperventilate slightly.

"I can't stay here, I need- outside, I- I gotta go." She turned and bee-lined out of the room, mostly ignored by the party-goers and revelers around. Daryl followed swiftly, concern etched on his features.

"Beth!" He called to her outside, finding her dry-heaving near the corner of the building. Her body shook, and he placed an uneasy hand on her bony back. He made a mental note to make sure she ate more, especially since the lack of food in her stomach was keeping anything from coming up right then.

"I'm sorry!" Beth coughed out, choking on her tears. Tentatively, she brought her head against his chest.

"You got nothin' to be sorry bout. Wha's goin' on?"

"N-nothing… I'm fine."

"Darlin', this aint' fine." The girl just shook her head and squeezed his waist tightly, so he tried again, "Tell me what's got you so worked up." She pulled away to look at him, and words spilled out of her in quick desperation.

"It's not that I'm not happy for Maggie, I am… it's just everyone's so happy, laughin' and smiling all around me, and I'm not. I just wanna scream and cry, and god, I wanna feel sorry for myself, but that scares me, cuz I know what happened last time I did. My life is great, good as it can get- I still got my family and people who love me, and I'm relatively safe, and I have a _home_. I shouldn't feel sorry for myself, not when Carol's so sick she's dyin' and can still come out with that smile on her face, and not when everyone else has had it so much harder'n I have. But no matter how hard I try to feel happy for Maggie and Glenn, I just wonder what's the point; I'm never gonna have something like that, especially not now that I'm damaged n' used goods. I still dream about my time in that place, with _him_, and it's not fair, that was months ago- I just wanna forget, it's over. If everyone else has forgotten, why can't I? I'm at their wedding, this _miracle_ wedding, and all I'm thinking about is myself. I'm selfish. I'm a terrible sister!" She broke down in sobs at that, unable to continue, and leaned back into his chest. Daryl did not know what to do; he had no experience comforting a crying woman.

"C'mon, none'a that." He tried, patting her back awkwardly, but it did no good; she only cried harder. "Shit, c'mon now, you ain't selfish. Hell, you're the farthest thing from it, and nobody'd deny that. You given a lot for this family, n' your sister loved everythin' you did to make this night happen, even that goddamn hideous dress."

She sniffled, "Y-you really mean that?"

"Yes, I do. But Beth," he captured the two sides of her head in his hands, searching her eyes, "I need t' know. If yer thinking bout doin' somethin' like you did back at the farm, you got to tell me right now." She stared back sadly, quiet for a moment.

"Honestly? I dunno… I don't think so, but sometimes it all just feels pointless, like it would be so much easier. Then I think of my family, though, n' Judith, and I realize I can't, I could never do something like that again. I barely did it back home; I was too afraid."

"Wantin' to live ain't fear, it's good goddamn sense."

"I'm just tired of looking 'round corners, always feeling like something's gonna be creeping there… someone."

"Well I can't help ya with that, not in this world."

"You do though." She admitted, looking down, "I feel a lot safer when I'm with you… I know it's stupid, but our conversations've been helping a lot. I feel safe around you, and you don't talk to me like you're afraid Imma shatter at the wrong word."

"… Ya kinda did tonight." He pointed out with his usual lack of tact, and she laughed.

"That's true…" They sat quietly for a moment.

"Daryl?" She finally asked. He grunted in acknowledgment. "Do you think I could come talk to you or just sit with you more nights? I like it, and if Maggie or my daddy looks at me with those sad eyes one more time, I think I might scream."

He snorted, "Sure thing. But for now, I'm thinkin' we should get back before they start t' worry." He stood and offered a hand to her. She took it gratefully, brushing herself off. Before he could move away, she linked her arm with his.

"Shall we, sir?" He rolled his eyes but walked with her anyway. Later, when they all insisted the wedding party had a first dance, Daryl regretted his own suggestion, but Beth was a graceful enough partner to keep him from looking _too_ ridiculous… though he figured Merle would still never let him live it down.

But that night found him with a smile anyway.

* * *

R_S: Yay more Daryl and Beth bonding. This was kinda hard to write... I keep feeling like I didn't quite get the conversation I was going for. Oh well. Let me know what you think =)


	11. Chapter 11

**Bittersweet**

"Y'all will never guess what we found!" Maggie hollered, jumping out of the truck as everyone approached. It was not hard to guess- they could see the creature right there plain as day, her black and white hide crusted brown and baking in the midday sun. Beth had her out in moments.

"No way," the blond grinned, looking more excited than she had in weeks, "ya found us a cow?!" She had only been outside for a few minutes to check on Daryl and make sure he was getting enough food, just as he had taken it on himself to do for her. She was not too skinny anymore, finally eating her fair portion.

Rick chuckled as he and Glenn exited the vehicle, arms laden with stock from the run, "Well, it's Glenn's cow- he went through all the trouble of lurin' her here."

Maggie leaned in conspiratorially, "She likes his hair." As if on cue, the creature craned its neck over to where Glenn was reaching for some of their haul and attempted to take a mouthful of short black hair. He dodged at the last second to the sounds of laughter from his comrades.

"Yeah yeah, laugh it up- but remember who you have to thank when you're drinking delicious fresh milk." Rick laughed again.

"Well while you revel in the spoils of your victory, I'll be takin' the rest up to Hershel; got some things to discuss with him. Try not to waste too much time."

As he walked off, the blond strolled closer, her fingers curled in her belt loops. "So whacha gonna name her?"

"Big Mama." Glenn answered, dead serious.

"Seriously? That's what you're goin' with?" Beth deadpanned.

Daryl snorted, "I ain't callin' her that."

"Me neither," she agreed. Glenn stuck his tongue out at everyone.

"Hey, you heard Rick- my cow, my rules. Anyway, Maggie said I wasn't allowed to name her Beef or Steak… or Bessie."

"Your creativity astounds."

Beth placed a hand on his arm, "Seriously though, Glenn, this is great. We should be able to have milk around here, which will be amazing. And the kids could seriously use something that healthy- I'm worried 'bout them growin' right for their age." He rubbed the back of his neck.

"Eh, it wasn't anything… I didn't really do much, she pretty much just hunted my hair all the way here. On a related note, I'm fairly certain human hair is not part of a cow's natural diet, but that is just one of many aspects of bovine care I have no freaking clue about." That earned him a good laugh from his sister-in-law.

"Don't worry 'bout that," Maggie grinned, snuggling up to him, "me, daddy, n' Beth grew up on a farm; I think we can handle a cow."

"Then consider Big Mama my gift to you- provided the name stays."

"My my, isn't my husband generous? I guess I better check her out sooner rather'n later, make sure she's healthy n' all." Her tone of voice made it obvious that was not her first choice of activities for the day.

"Nah," Beth waved her away, "you guys are probably tired from the run- you left early this morning. I can handle checkin' on her and all that."

"Ya sure? What about the kids?"

"Oh they're bothering Tyreese right now- you know how they love climbing all over him like a jungle-gym." Maggie looked relieved, and it did not take a mind-reader to know what she was looking forward to doing with this newfound free-time.

"Thanks. There should be a tin bucket in the back seat, too."

"Great, I'll clean it out." As the couple walked off, Beth leaned into the back of the truck to fetch the bucket. Without watching them leave, Daryl returned to his work. The two took care of their responsibilities in companionable silence. The only sounds were his hands working and the scrubbing of the bucket with some fresh wash water. He would never admit it, but he was comfortable.

It sounded cheesy, but the more time Daryl spent with her over the passing months since the wedding, the more he learned about how dynamic she was. There were so many sides to her. She could be thoughtful and insightful, analyzing anything from an issue to a person. People were a natural talent for her, and they seemed to have a natural inclination to protecting and catering to help her.

Just her mothering side itself was dynamic. She could be sweet and mothering when caring for Judith or if one of the kids scraped his knee. Or she could be the stern parent, expertly diffusing a tantrum as the authority figure. He had seen her put a kid over her knee once. He bristled at the idea of it, expected it to upset him, but she had just delivered a couple solid pats and put him in the corner for a time-out. Afterward she sat with him, discussed what he did wrong and why he was punished the way he was. She was firm when she needed to be but never cruel. She cried privately afterward, almost as much as the child, and he felt inclined to hold her in pity, though he resisted. She was made to be the good parent, really, not the punisher. She would make a good mother someday, especially with a father who was stern enough to handle disciplinary decisions on his own. When he thought that while catching himself staring at Beth, he had decided not to ruminate on her motherly side anymore; it gave him ideas a man his age had no business thinking, and he had no desire to ruin a good thing with impure thoughts, especially not about one of the only people whose playfulness could make him smile.

If he was being honest, Daryl's favorite side of Beth was her playful side anyway. A sunny grin split her face, a wicked gleam in her eye, and her laughter could fill a room. Or, in this case, a prison yard, because she was decidedly in a playful mood that day. The arrival of 'Big Mama' seemed to bring out the best in her. He could hear her occasionally murmuring to the animal, calming her as she stroked her side and checked for bugs, infection, or whatever it was that might make the cow too unhealthy to remain with them. Occasionally she would look over and watch him work. It was a little distracting, but he was mostly able to ignore it. Carol used to watch him too, he told himself, this should not be any different. Somehow, though, with Beth, it was. He thought about how sweet and soft that voice was, and he would be lying if he said he did not fall asleep some nights imagining it in his ear. It was a bad habit, one that made him twitchy, but she had the voice of an angel, like the prison's own songbird.

"Well," she said final, "she seems all fine to me, so the milk's probably good."

"Good, we could use some'n like that 'round here." He panted slightly from exertion, using the back of a dirty forearm to wipe the sweat from his brow. The blond looked him over and jerked her head.

"C'mon, you been workin' all day. You're probably thirsty."

He raised an eyebrow, "Y'know how to milk that thing too?" In response, she dropped to her knees with the bucket and skillfully set about filling it, coaxing out the milk with gentle tugs. He was kind of surprised the cow did not seem to mind it at all, but then again, he figured it shouldn't- if she had that soothing effect on people, then why not on creatures? He dropped gracelessly to his ass on the ground beside her, and she passed him the bucket.

"Thanks." He said, before taking a grateful gulp, "It's good." Truly it tasted divine, the best thing he'd had in a long while

"Here, you should take some. Ain't fair I should have all the first good milk we got in a while." She took it back from him but did not drink, instead setting it back down and continuing to fill it.

"Nah, we still don't know if it's safe. I figure if you grow breasts, we'll know if she was treated with steroids."

He rolled his eyes, "I liked you better when you was intimidated by me, y'know that?"

"What was that?" She grinned at him, "Did you say you wanted more?" She pulled the utter again, this time tiling it slightly so it shot Daryl in the face. He sputtered indignantly and wiped at his face, and causing Beth to let out a throaty laugh. She never thought she would see the day where Daryl Dixon was cute, but there it was. Only a week or two ago had she admitted to herself she had a crush on the brash redneck, but she forced herself to remain normal- though sometimes the flirting was just a bit too difficult to resist. She doubted he noticed, though, and even if he did, it did not matter. It was foolish to risk a good friendship with the only person who did not treat her like a useless child by allowing her whims to be governed by a childish crush. Anyway, it was not as though she had a chance with a real, salt of the earth man like Daryl.

But sometimes, she wondered if he wasn't flirting back at her.

"You little rat! Don't think I ain't gettin' you for that later. Sleep with one eye open." He swatted a hand weakly at her, catching her thigh in a soft pinch. Her chest tingled, and Beth knew it was one of those times she had to removed herself from the situation, so she threw him one over her most winning smiles.

"I look forward to it, sir." She stood, "Well, I better see if I can't get some of this into Judith and the other kids. I'll see you later… And Daryl," she took a big sip and winked at him, "you're right; it _is_ good."

Without another word, she walked away, listening distantly to him tell the cow (Mama, she thought she would call it) about how women were 'all goddamn insane as a jitterbug in June.'


	12. Chapter 12

R_S: Wow guys, I really love all the positivity this story has been getting. I'm up to an average of nearly 10 reviews per chapter, which is absolutely amazing for a story that updates daily, and they're all good reviews. There's been not a single flame, or worse, anti-bethyl comment unrelated to the actual story. You guys are making this story so much more fun for me, so thank you! =)

This chapter, sadly, contrasts with all the happy. I really hope I got dark Daryl in character. He's really difficult to write, because he has so many feelings but hides them... then when shit gets really real he flat-out cries. He goes from 0-60 with his emotions, and it's difficult to write... let me know what you all think. Hopefully you enjoy it!

* * *

**Bittersweet**

Another cool night set in, the wind tickling his nose and gently brushing aside wisps of brown hair. Daryl sighed. Shitty things always seemed to happen on hot days and cool nights. What happened to the classic old setting of a dark and stormy night as a harbinger of doom? Hell, he was starting to fear the sun, becoming convinced it foreshadowed evil every time he saw it. The nights that week were lonesome to him, more so than before. He had not realized he had grown accustomed to a sweet little blond presence until it was gone. She was avoiding him, not showing up for their customary meetings, and he thought now he knew why. Her daddy must have told her what was happening, and she could not bear to face him, did not know how to hide the truth. Part of him could do nothing more than repeat a self-loathing mantra at the realization that he was missing her presence, the sweet young girl that was far too classy for him in any lifetime, more than he was worrying about Carol (that mantra went something along the lines of 'shit shit shit shit shit…'). Another part of him was furious, screamed that she was damn smart hiding from him after just about lying, because keeping something from someone was the same thing in his book. A final (if he was being honest, a _bigger_) part of him just wished she was there. One would never know, but he hated being alone.

Beth knew he hated being alone; she could tell in the way he always watched the world. Those sharp blue eyes, calculating and far too familiar, could read a person down to what was written on their bones, through a fog of longing, that telltale sadness that was only visible if you knew how to see it. She remembered them vividly, staring at her as she worked and looking down at her as he had a few nights ago. The dream had been so vivid she could _smell_ him, like he was actually there curled up with her. She wondered if his skin felt as soft in real life- she had never felt his back, but she knew she was remembering the texture of his hands perfectly. It had been perfect, the feeling of his weight on top of her, gentle yet firm. She did not think the smile would slip off her face until it did, his grip tightening and weight becoming oppressive. His smell dissolved into that of another, one she did not care to think about. A lone eye stared down at her, full of hate and insanity, and for a moment, the two men were one. It woke her with her own screaming.

But looking at him then, sitting alone in the cool dark night, it was hard to think of him as anything but her Daryl (when he became hers, she did not know, nor did she care to ruminate on it, because that school-girl crush was becoming far too intense). She was not sure how long she had stood there watching the back of him, but it felt like an eternity before she willed her legs to move, to carry her beside him.

"Hey." She whispered hoarsely, finding her voice. She had been avoiding him a bit lately, thoroughly disturbed by her dream. It had been jarring to see him like that, juxtaposed against the Governor and left to blur between the lines of differentiation. Beth wasn't sure what she was more ashamed of: the dirty Daryl dream (she enjoyed the alliteration of it) or the fact that for a short time, she might have been almost as afraid of him as the Governor. But one look at his brooding, sad features, and such thoughts felt like a kick in the gut.

Oh, she had missed him. She found herself trying to commit his every feature to memory. His hair had gotten longer since the farm, that was different than in her dream, and his eyes weren't quite so electric blue in the dark, more shadowed. And, if she was being perfectly honest, he looked older, more weather-worn. But he was still beautiful. His voice, though, that she had imagined perfectly, warm and rough and the kind of sound that she felt in her gut.

"Carol ain't gettin' better… Your pa thought maybe he could find a way to fix 'er up, but there ain't." He said, in lieu of a greeting.

Beth nodded sadly, sitting beside him, "I know… I don't think he ever really could. I think maybe he and Carol just wanted to say that to give us a bit of hope when we really needed it."

"That's cruel." He whispered hoarsely, but she shook her head.

"No, it's sweet. They're still tryin' to protect all of us, even missin' half their limbs n' lyin' on death's doorstep. It's nice… you need people like that in this world."

"I think it's stupid; no use denyin' anythin' nowadays."

"I'd deny everything if I could," she admitted, comfortable enough with him to feel weak, "I remember thinkin' something like that when we found Oscar n' Axel and them hiding away in the cafeteria. I remember wishing I could have been in there with them, not faced all of that for those months. I try to be strong, but… I'd trade this world for ignorance in a heartbeat."

"When'd they tell ya?" He would not face her, even as she turned to look at him curiously.

"I'm not sure what you mean."

"That she was dyin', how long ya known?"

"I didn't know any more than you did, honestly. I found out tonight. Trust me, no one gets protected n' coddled more than I do; there's no way they'd tell me if they didn't have to."

"Then why ya been stayin' away?" He stared at her intently, looking vaguely annoyed under his haze of heartbreak. Her mouth open and shut a few times like a fish, trying to find the words, because she could not very well tell him she had a sex dream about him that turned into a nightmare about the Governor. A blush spread delicately across her cheeks at the thought.

Finally she settled on "It's complicated. I haven't been feeling myself lately is all…" his gaze did not waver, so she kept talking, "I think maybe I felt my daddy was keepin' things from me, that I could sense something was wrong and just couldn't place it." Still his gaze was heavy on her, a bit watery, but as Daryl spoke, his voice was even and strong as always.

"Don't stay away again."

Beth had seen him with a hole in his head, soaked in blood from getting skewered with an arrow. She had seen him look scary, seen him mourn, and seen him smirk. But that night was the first time she had ever _seen_ him, and even though she knew Daryl was the kind of guy who liked it that way, she felt kind of ashamed. It was at that moment she realized that she would not have seen him if he did not want her to, so those quiet nights and long talks beneath the stars must have meant as much to him as they did to her. And then she knew, irrevocably, that whatever feelings she had for him could not be contained or dismissed, she was not strong enough for that.

Another question, though, remained: was he?


	13. Chapter 13

R_S: Ok, so this chapter's really a turning point in the story... things are finally turning to where I know you all want them to ;)

Sorry it's a day late- Sundays are sometimes a little crazy for me.

* * *

**Bittersweet**

Something had shifted between them since that night; nearly a week of awkwardness settling in. They returned to their regularly scheduled meetings, but the conversations had become short and mostly one-sided. Daryl had become gruff and abrupt with her. He never called her by her name anymore, just barked out orders condescendingly.

"Quit stallin', Princess."

"I still need that supply list, Cupcake, so maybe y'all should get a move on with it."

"Kid, you seen your daddy?"

"Outta the way, Squirt."

"Ain't you got somewhere to be, half-pint?"

"Need a grown-up to reach that for ya, short-stack?"

It was enough to drive a girl mad.

If others noticed his shift in his treatment toward Beth, they said nothing, but they certainly noticed the souring of her mood. Maggie had been less than delicate in her appraisal and let out a few choice words that had her father tutting. But Beth, to borrow a Dixon turn of phrase, couldn't really give two shits. By the end of the fifth day of his patronization, she was ready to really start a fight. Only one person was not completely oblivious to her fury at Daryl, and that was his brother.

Stomping away from another kitschy nickname one day, she heard Merle ask, "Jesus, baby brother, what'd ya do to put Li'l Bo Peep's panties in such a twist? Ain't ya learned how t'talk to women yet, or you still not old enough?" A tiny part of her reveled in the victory of that, for someone else to treat Daryl the way he was treating her- like a child. But annoyance overpowered it. She did not wait to hear his response, just hoped the teasing would be enough to point out what a jerk he was being. Anyway, even his big brother recognized her as a woman rather than a little girl, and that seemed to be something Daryl was desperately oblivious of. Maybe his blood pointing it out would put an end to his new attitude.

It didn't. The comments continued.

That night, she sought him out as usual, finding him lingering alone by the watchtower. It was his shift, and while most of the time distractions were frowned upon, being the prison darling had a way of making you an exception to the rule. And that night, Beth was going to distract him. She vowed to put an end to all the childish treatment once and for all. It might make things even more awkward for a while, or even permanently shift the paradigm of their relationship, perhaps not for the better, but she was not going to stand for this new humiliation. She would rather he went back to speaking to her less than this mockery- it burned too much. She was an adult, and she would be treated as such, whether he wanted her or not- but god, she hoped he wanted her. It was time to face the fact that she wanted him, that this was not just some childish idealization, and it might very well change everything. It was an uncomfortable thought, one that almost had Beth turning back in fear, but she forced herself on. She could not live like this.

"Hi." She whispered awkwardly. Mentally, Daryl cursed and tried to convince himself he had not just been thinking about her, as though doing so would change the fact that he was. He had been thinking about her too much lately, far too much for a man his age to be thinking about a girl hers. That night, when they sat together after hearing about Carol, had been entirely inappropriate, and it was only the most severe example of a string of too intimate nights for that pair. She acted the way a girlfriend was meant to act (not that he had very much experience in that realm as of late), and she was _not_ his girlfriend, should never be his girlfriend.

She was too damn good for that.

"Hey… whacha doin' here so late?" He asked, trying to keep his voice guarded. Maybe if he chased her off really fast, he could stop wondering about how soft her lips looked- because hell, they looked like butter under the moonlight.

She shrugged, "Thought you might like some company." He sniffed and turned away.

"M'fine. Shouldn't you be in bed, anyway? S'passed your bedtime." He knew he was being obnoxious and ornery, but dear lord he hoped it would chase her away, maybe put some much needed distance between them. He ignored the sting of her eyes narrowing.

"I'm not tired. Besides, I need to feed the baby soon anyway." She said sharply, making the point that she was not a child.

"Right… how's she doin'?"

"She's well, been in a real playful mood… how have you been doing?"

"I'm fine." She stepped closer behind him and placed a hand on his shoulder, but he shrugged it off.

"Ya sure? Because a wise man once told me people only say they're fine when they're not. I know things have been rough this week, and… I just don't want you hiding up here on your own. I worry about you, y'know." He bristled, hoping to holy hell that he was reading too much into that, that he was just a dirty old man and she was still just being sweet little Beth, affectionate with everyone- even undeserving creeps like him. Because if she was thinking about him the way he thought about her, he was not sure he would have the strength to say no.

"Ain't nothin' to worry about. Like I said, princess, m'fine, so why don't you run along n' play." That was it, the straw that broke the camel's back. With a furious pout (honestly, he thought, only she could pout when she was mad), she spun him around and gave him a firm push, tiny hands square on his shoulders.

"Stop it, stop with the 'princess' and 'cupcake' and 'kid's! If I'm annoying you or I made you uncomfortable, just say so, but don't treat me like some silly little girl! I'm not a _child_, Daryl."

He grabbed her by the arm, firmly but gently, pulling her closer to him, "God damn it, you don't think I know that? Wish I didn't, but I do..." She searched his face uncertainly, electricity crackling between them.

"Daryl?" She asked, voice soft but not shy. His hand slipped from her bicep, his eyes boring intensely into hers.

"I ain't thought of you as a child for a long time."

He hadn't, and it was getting worse. He dreamt of the sky the night before. It was getting ready to storm, grey and swirling and endlessly deep, but everything smelled good, better than it had since they had been surrounded with so much death and decay. The air was warm and it felt sunny, even with the beautifully darkened sky. It was not until the very end of the dream he realized he was looking into a set of eyes, not a storm. He woke up feeling a menagerie of things, not the least of which being like a pussy waxing poetic. Most men dreamt about sex, he dreamt about eyes.

Now, gazing into those eyes, he knew Merle was right; his balls were long-gone.

She was stepping forward again, fingertips dancing lightly against the skin of his arms. He pulled away.

"You need to go, Beth."

"Why? Less than a week ago you asked me not to stay away, now you're tellin' me to go? That isn't fair, Daryl. What do you want from me?"

"Space," he willed himself to say, "I need ya to stop sniffin' around n' annoyin' me all the time. Ain't you got shit to do?"

Her expression hardened, "Don't feed me that bull, Daryl. I may be a little younger than you, but I'm not dumb."

"'A little?'" he choked, running a hand over the back of his head, "Girl, I'm old enough to be your daddy, and then you come in here with those big eyes and leanin' into me all the time."

"That's cuz you _aren't_ my daddy, and like you said, I'm not a little girl. I've been thinkin' about you for a while, just wasn't gonna do anything about it; seemed like a silly crush. But if you've got the same thoughts, maybe we should talk about all this." He shook his head adamantly and put some distance between them.

"There's nothin' to talk about. You gotta go, Beth; I ain't playin' games here."

"Neither am I, Daryl-" A loud slam on the gate, the creak of its weakening cutting through the air- someone or something was cutting through the chain link. He spun around, and Beth moved up to his elbow instinctively.

"What's going on?" She asked breathlessly. Daryl frowned.

"C'mon, let's go get the baby n' the kids somewhere safe; we'll get Rick n' the others on the way." He said instead of answering. Without thinking, he placed his hand on the small of her back and ushered her out. Her small form was warm against his palm, and he moved against it in small circles as they walked quickly, his eyes searching the area.

Beth did not turn her head as she spoke to him out of the corner of her mouth, "Daryl… I think someone's out there, to the right."

"Yeah?" He asked, looking around casually as though not searching for anything in particular, "Where 'xactly?"

"Just 'round the corner of the cell block, I think… Daryl-" He cut her off as they slipped quietly inside, shutting the door behind them. He began setting the booby-traps and barricades they had prepared for just such occasions, in lieu of the Governor's attack.

"Sshhh, don't worry none- ya gon' be fine. We'll just get you inside with Judith, n'-"

She stopped, causing him to bump into her, "That's where I was when the Governor came, and look how that worked out." She looked up at him with hard eyes that tried to hide her fear, but he saw through it easily.

"Beth, _no one's_ gonna get t'you this time-"

"N' what about you? How'm I supposed to know if you're gonna be ok." Grabbing her arm, he pulled her down the corridor more hurriedly.

"'Course I'll be ok, always am. Now quit stallin'; we gotta find Rick, _now_. Those ain't friendlies out there, n' now the gate's been compromised. Ain't no time for chatter." Rick was nowhere to be seen as they arrived in the cafeteria, Daryl pulling her in. Beth walked quickly over to Judith, fussing over her for a moment and cradling her in her arms, before turning back to Daryl. Idly, in the back of her mind, she realized that they had never finished their conversation.

"Daryl, I don't wanna lose anyone else, I-"

"You ain't. Listen, your sister's a smart gal, she'll hold her own just fine, n' your daddy knows to stay outta harm's way. It's all gonna be over soon, but ya gotta sit tight."

"No, Daryl, I know they're smart enough to keep themselves safe." She said, walking him to the door, tears starting to well in her eyes, "I don't wanna lose _you_. You got a habit of findin' yourself in scary situations." Daryl placed his hands on her shoulders, looking her dead in the eye, and pushed down the little ember of satisfaction that someone wanted him to stick around just for being him, not just so he could keep doing the dirty work.

"Hey, none of that worryin' right now," his voice was low and soft, and he tucked a dirty strand of hair behind her ear, "I ain't goin' nowhere… Imma stay safe so I can be here n' protect my girls; I promise ya that. I won't lose nobody else close to me." Beth began to lean into his warmth.

A shot rang out somewhere down the hall.

"Shit - C'mon, we gotta move. Keep the l'il ass kicker quiet n' follow me, _now_."

For the second time, men were attacking the prison, and for the second time, Beth owed Daryl her life. For the first time, keeping Beth safe and away from attackers was Daryl's first priority. He tried not to dwell on where that compulsion stemmed from, focusing instead on the blood, sweat, and screams.


	14. Chapter 14

**Bittersweet**

**Chapter 14  
**

Beth needed to get out.

"Maggie, I'm _fine_, really- please just get some rest." She soothed, gritting her teeth and feeling guilty for how annoyed she was at her sister. After all, it was only out of love.

The brunette ran a hand down her sister's arm, "Are ya sure? Where ya goin?" Beth resisted the urge to roll her eyes at the continuous stream of questioning.

"Just outside for a few minutes."

"Why, ain't ya sleepin'?"

"I will, soon. I just need some air, to clear my head."

"You want some company?"

The blond shook her head, "No, I think I could just use some quiet time to myself. It's kinda stuffy in here." She cut off her sister as she opened her mouth, "I'll be fine, really. Daryl's on guard, n' he heard everythin' last time, didn't he?"

"Actually," Rick's voice interrupted, his lithe form leaning up against the doorway, "Daryl tells me you were the one who noticed what was happenin'. That was real good, Beth. I can't thank ya enough for everythin' you done for this group… both the other night and with the Gov-… and a few months ago. I just, uh, wanted to come by and check on ya. You holdin' up ok?" He looked at her with fatherly, caring eyes.

Beth thought she might scream.

Instead, she forced a weak smile, "I am, really. I thought maybe if somethin' like that happened again I wouldn't be, but I was. I really didn't do anythin'." As she spoke, Rick smiled at her modesty and nodded approvingly.

"Alright, well I won't bother you any longer. You ladies have a good night." He tipped his head like a true southern gentleman and swaggered out to continue his rounds, leaving Maggie to look at her with sad, discerning eyes as though to see if she was lying, ready to mother her beyond all reason.

"I was thinkin' maybe I'd stay with you tonight, y'know, like old times-"

"No!" She coughed, catching herself, "No, no that's fine, Maggie. You never sleep as well when Glenn's not with you, I catch you up all restless almost anytime he has guard duty; everybody knows it. Just head off to bed. Daddy's already asleep, and Imma head in soon. Really, Maggie, you don't have to worry about me so much."

"… Alright. But Beth… you know if you need anythin', y'all can always come talk to me, right?" Beth bit her lip and nodded, feeling guilty, and bid her sister goodnight. It was not as though she did not want to talk to Maggie, really she did, but there was no way to without her overreacting. And to be fair, talking to her about the one thing she wanted to was just _not_ an option.

Dear lord, Beth needed to get out of there. She needed to be around someone who _wouldn't_ treat her like she was liable to break down over the littlest thing. She needed to find someone who would treat her like a goddamn adult, not like glass. She needed Daryl.

They had hardly talked since the night of the attack, when some travelling group of pillagers had made an ill-planned raid on their little stronghold. After that, it was difficult to find a moment to herself, everyone wanting to check in with her and make sure she was ok, as though she was about to start having flashbacks to 'Nam. She found herself missing the silent hunter's company for not the first time. Their conversation that night was stopped before it ever really begun, but Beth figured maybe that was a sign. Every time she tried to take a step with Daryl, they always ended up taking two steps back. Maybe they just were not meant to be more than what they were; maybe some force was telling her to stop looking a gift horse in the mouth. She was done pursuing things, ready to just let sleeping dogs lie, starting that night. She was going to go up and sit with him like always, and things were going to go back to normal. They were going to be _happy_, goddamn it. She could not risk losing him, not with how bad she needed him. Those recent events still so fresh in her mind taught her that much.

She should have been scared of him after it all, she knew that would have been logical- she watched him cut a man's hands off. But she wasn't. That man was going to hurt them, and his arms had been out and exposed… his hands on _her_. Daryl was protecting her, and he took no joy in what he had done.

He was not a monster, unlike a man she once knew.

It had all happened so fast. One moment they were in the canteen, collecting Judith and rushing down the hall, the next there was a group of bandits. They had managed to bust their way through the obstacles that had been put in their way, the gunshots necessary to do so alerting the rest of the prison. But until the others could reach the main annex, the mismatched duo was on their own. Daryl sprang into action, moving like a wild animal, arrows flying and knife swinging. She was distracted at the time, but in retrospect, Beth had never seen anything like it. He moved with ferocity and grace, heedless of his enemies. She had done what she could, armed with a small knife he slipped her just before the fight broke out, but it was difficult to battle intruders while keeping a baby safe in your arms.

Daryl had taken care of her.

That was commonplace it seemed, nowadays. She had come to rely on him for nearly everything, going to him when she was sad or afraid or in danger. Hell, she even when to him when she was happy. Anytime something happened, the first thought that entered Beth's mind was that she wanted to tell Daryl, wondered what Daryl would think. His had become the most important opinion in her world. Gritting her teeth as she ascended the ladder to the watch tower, Beth reminded herself that she _would_ feel that way about a _best friend_.

Maybe if she referred to him as that enough, she could convince herself it was all he was.

Daryl heard her approach, expected it even. Honestly, he was a bit surprised she had waited so long to come see him, even if this was his first shift since the incident. Beth had a tendency of cornering him, seeking him out to talk even when things were most awkward between them. This was the longest they had gone without speaking since… since before he cared to think about. But she had not gone looking for him, had merely been pleasantly normal and polite. If he was being honest, that drew his eyes to her more than when she sought his attention.

She looked pretty that night for some reason, hair shining in the moonlight and skin pale and soft, aside from a bit of bruising still left over. The girl was pretty damn helpless with an arm full of baby and a room full of strange men, but she had not frozen. That impressed him. He knew she was made of tougher grit than everyone made her out to be, but to see it for himself was something entirely different. What she lacked in physical strength, she made up for in sheer will; case and point, the way she was handling things between the two of them. The girl did _not_ give up, he gave her that. It was becoming more and more difficult to say no to, and Daryl knew he was going to get himself into trouble damn soon.

He eyed her warily as she sat down across form him, pulling a ratty old blanket around her.

All she said was, "Hey."

"… hey." He answered finally, wondering what her angle was.

"It's a nice night," she commented blandly, gazing up at the stars, "real quiet n' pretty." Fine, he figured, he would play along.

"It is. How's the gate comin' 'long?"

"It's good, all patched up. Tyreese came up with a real good plan to strengthen it, and it's kinda become his pet project." Daryl nodded approvingly, but said nothing. A silence spread between them, but she cut it off quickly.

"Judith's just starting to teethe, poor thing. I been givin' her wads of linen n' boilin' leather for her to chew on, but she's gotten really fussy."

"She's gettin' old… want me t'pick up somethin' on the next run, maybe find… I dunno, a baby chew toy or somethin'? They make those, don't they?"

She giggled, "Yeah, they do. If ya find one, sure, but I wouldn't go crazy; you're not gonna find anything that works better than what we have, unless you can figure out how to make ice."

He shrugged, "'Kay."

"… It's a good thing winter's comin'; we can put some spoons and leather out in the snow for her."

"Yeah, that'd work well, I think…" It was awkward, there was no other word for it. The remnants of their last conversation permeated the air almost physically. Beth licked her lips, desperate to fill the silence, hoping something, anything would flip some subconscious switch and make them forget their feelings. She wanted things to go back to normal, had sworn to herself that she would make them do so.

"Y'know what I miss?" She asked suddenly.

"What?" he grunted, unable to resist indulging her- that was always a weakness where she was concerned.

"Caramel. Right before all this happened, I was goin' through some weird phase where I wasn't eatin' it, cuz I was worried about getting fat n' was just sick of it after having waaay too much around Easter. Now, though, I'd kill for a piece, wouldn't even care if it was stale or hard or got stuck in my teeth… Don't you miss caramel, Daryl?" She looked over at him, and he shrugged, dropping down next to her.

"I never liked it."

"_What_? What do you mean 'you never liked it?'"

"Ain't one for sweets, n' that's all sugary crap."

"That, sir, is a travesty;

"I'm surprised you like it so damn much; ya act so sweet, y'd think it wouldn't melt none in your mouth." He teased, the two of them finally falling into a normal repertoire.

She rolled her eyes but smiled nonetheless, "Oh, very funny. At least tell me you liked chocolate. It's chocolate; _everybody_ likes chocolate."

"_That_ I ain't tellin'," he smirked, bumping her shoulder with his, "a man's gotta have his mysteries."

"Who _are_ you?" She mocked. He chuckled, but she turned to him eagerly, "No, seriously; I don't know anythin' bout you or your life, not really… what'd ya do before all this? Like, as a job, I mean… what'd Merle do?"

Daryl glared, unhappy with the sudden turn their conversation had taken, "Merle was fresh outta prison, so he wasn't _doing_ much." He watched her mental process, the way she nearly winced at the realization of just how stupid her question was. But to her credit, she didn't, instead kept her chin up and committed to it.

"Y'know, you should tell Rick to talk to him more 'bout how to keep this place secure. If he spent as much time in prison as y'all claim he has, then he prolly knows a thing or two about how to work 'em." His instinct was to snap at her, but he stopped- she had something of a point, he was loathe to admit. Beth Greene was a great many things, but stupid was not one of them. After a moment, he nodded.

"That ain't the worst idea I ever heard."

"My, my- high praise coming from the great Daryl Dixon, Mr. Sunshine himself. Maybe someday you'll tell me I don't suck. A girl can dream, can't she?" He resisted the urge to laugh out loud at her teasing, finding himself leaning into her warmth. The night was getting cold. Without hesitation, Beth tossed half the blanket around his shoulders, sharing in his warmth.

It was strange; she knew none of the conventional things about Daryl, that much was true, but then she knew the most intimate of details about him. She knew what his expressions meant, the way he liked to sleep when they were forced to camp before they found the prison. She knew when he wanted to be left alone and when he wanted company. She knew what made him cry, and for once, did not think tears on a man were emasculating. When he cried, it was for good reason, and she respected him for it. Beth knew things about Daryl that couples sometimes took years to learn, and she had yet to even kiss him.

God did she want to kiss him.

She had promised herself she would not continue to bother him, to pursue this childish fancy. But he was so warm beside her, his form so firm. It chased all her resolution away. He smelled like staleness and dirt and sweat, like they all did, but it was better on him somehow. Beneath the reek of filth, there was something much better that she could just barely detect. Or maybe it was her imagination; hell, how was she to remember after a year of global chaos… maybe her mind was playing tricks on her to make her want him. Regardless, it was working.

Beth stared up at him from the side, regarding him curiously. He was a lot older than her, she knew, but Daryl did not seem to have such old features. His eyes were a little sunken and tired, but his skin did not wrinkle. She liked his nose, oddly, its straight thinness and form. Honestly, she liked a lot about him. She even liked the way he had more willpower than her, staring steadfastly ahead for as long as he could. He felt her eyes on him but willed himself to look away, fighting a losing battle. He was _tired_; tired of fighting, tired of pretending he did not want to look at her when he did. Tired of pretending she did not fit like she was made to be next to him, cheesy and lame as it sounded. Blue eyes were drawn to pouty pink lips that made him lick his own, and something shifted between them.

His eyelids drooped, blue eyes shadowy as he gazed down at her.

"We shouldn't be doing this." He whispered, voice thick, but leaned in anyway. Beth's big eyes stared back up at him, shining from the night sky.

All she said was "Daryl," his name like a prayer falling from her sweet lips, making them look all that much sweeter, and he could no longer resist claiming them with his own. His hand moved up to cup the back of her head, her fists loosely clutching the front of his shirt. The angle was awkward, strained as they half turned to face each other and the blanket fell away. The bite of cold air on his arms forced Daryl's attention back to reality, back to the realization of what he was doing and with whom. He jerked away, their lips separating audibly.

"Mm- no, shit, no, that wasn't supposed to happen, just- god damn, shit..." He stood and moved away from her, pacing the small enclosure while muttering lewd curses to beneath his breathe and running an uneasy hand over his hair. He told himself he did a bad thing, even if it felt right.

"Daryl…" Beth called out softly, sitting on her knees away from him.

"God _damn it_!" He growled loudly, kicking the side of the wall with a heavy boot.

"_Daryl_." She spoke again as she stood, louder this time and more resolute. He looked at her darkly as she stood, eyes electric with grim thought.

"That shouldn't'a happened." He growled simply and she glared back.

"Why not?" The anger in his eyes softened for a moment, his brow furrowing as leaned against the wall, pressing his forearm against the stone and leaning his head on it.

"Shit… I'm sorry, Beth, I shouldn't have done that. It ain't right… you, uh, you ok?"

"Of _course_ I'm ok! Why can't-"

He straightened out, all signs of sadness lost from his face, "You should go now, get to bed."

"I'm not-"

"I ain't _askin_'." His eyes flickered to her, lingering on her lips as he remembered the kiss. He could feel her doing the same.

"You can't just treat me like a child and refuse to let me talk every time somethin' happens between us you don't like. I think we both know I'm no little girl."

"That don't make me maulin' you in the guard tower right."

She snorted derisively, getting annoyed, "I'd hardly call that you 'mauling' me; wasn't nothin' I didn't want." That was true. Time had seemed to slow down has his lips descended upon hers, an experience she had long wondered about. The short taste had only left her wanting more, kept her thinking of kissing him again.

"Ain't the point."

"So that's it," she said, leaning against the wall, "we aren't even gonna _try_ this?"

"This was… this was a mistake, Beth, a long, cold, lonely night. Ain't nothin' to try." He willed his voice to be cold, callous. The way a man like him might dismiss a girl like her back in the old world. But most men like him wouldn't be dismissing her, instead jumping at the chance to take things as far as they would go, and she'd be guaranteed a world of hurt- maybe physical, definitely mental. That was why it couldn't happen. But his voice did not come across cool and uncaring. It was gruff but uncertain in itself, like he was asking her to leave more than telling her.

Beth bit her lip and took a step forward, looking up at him with those big eyes that seemed to constantly hold his attention. Damn it all to hell, she was gonna be the death of him.

"You know that's not true. You kissed me, not the other way around."

"You instigated it." He pointed out meekly. It sounded weak even to his ears.

"But I didn't force nothin'; that was all on you." She was smiling softly now, moving closer. They kissed again. He did not even realize he was the one to initiate it until he pulled away to find her smiling victoriously.

"Your pa, he's a decent shot, and your sister's a spitfire. I'm takin' my life in my hands with this."

"Don't worry," Beth deadpanned, "I'll protect you."

Perhaps he was a bad influence on her, Daryl thought, as he was yanked down to her smirking lips.

* * *

R_S: Eek, the fist kiss! I got such a sense of satisfaction once I wrote them finally kissing haha. So the romance has begun! But, will it be smooth sailing? ;)

Let me know your opinions on them getting together and all that... I don't love the conversation leading up to it, honestly, but whatever. Thank you, my lovelies!


	15. Chapter 15

R_S: Wow, you guys have been so incredibly supportive of this story- I really appreciate it!

So this scene is a first brief foray into the physicality of their relationship, after weeks of being together and building. Sex _wil__l_ be an issue with them, just not the central focus of the story. Let me know your opinions of Daryl and Beth's intimacy, were they to get together. I'd love to hear your thoughts =)

* * *

**Bittersweet**

The budding couple realized early on that prevention was a much more effective tactic than protection (Beth) or self-defense (Daryl). Things were only just beginning to kindle between them, and it seemed counter-productive to bring others into it. Neither was stupid, contrary to popular opinion; they knew how others would react to their 'relationship' (Beth was hesitant to call it that initially, knowing it could very well scare him away before they had even really started). Instead, the two decided to allow time for a slow progression, to feel things out privately between the two of them. No one else's opinion was involved or complicated things, and if anything went wrong, it would not affect the overall functioning of the group. It was pragmatic; it was smart.

It was hard.

Even taking things slow, the feelings between them escalated quickly. The nights spent together were longer, despite neither talking all that much more than before. No magic switch flipped with Daryl, suddenly inspiring him to be verbose and share deeply with her. Beth encouraged him, though, and acted playfully, and she would sometimes catch him smiling in the darkness. She loved that smile, and whenever he pulled his usual scowl around the group, the amount of self-restraint it took to resist his hand was a herculean effort. More enticing, though, was the draw of his lips, and the first thing she did every night was kiss him. They would spend the evening quietly talking and enjoying companionable silence, sometimes kissing more… _often_ kissing more. The last thing she did every night was the same as the first, and she left with a good-bye kiss.

Daryl was more than happy with the set-up most of the time. He was a private person about most things, let alone his romantic entanglements, and he liked having Beth to himself. For once, it felt like he had something that was truly _his_ that nobody could take away from him. She was sweet and beautiful and way too good for him, but when it was just the two of them, he could sometimes pretend that was not true. But it was hard to find time just the two of them, and it sent them off looking for more private areas. As luck would have it, there was an empty stretch of rooms on the edge of Cell Block F, maybe once meant for solitary confinement. It was oddly fitting that they would share it together as their personal hideaway. The sheets were slipped in with the rest of the laundry, a rag taken to the dust and grime that had accumulated, and suddenly they had privacy.

Their new little space had changed things at first, made it too real. He pulled away, wondering yet again if it was right for him to be alone with her at all, let alone in a private bedroom tucked away from the world. But saying no to his Beth only got more and more difficult the longer they stayed together, and soon they found themselves spending entire nights curled up on cots they had pushed together to make room for them both. It had become their haven, for when the world was too dark, too full of hate. It was where they met up for hushed talks and stolen touches. And after so many weeks, there were plenty of those.

Beth sat up and stretched, letting out a contented sigh. He watched her as his fingers worked the buttons of his shirt deftly, fixing it so it looked like it had never been pawed at or pulled off. He smirked, thinking she had better fix her hair before heading back out. The mass of blond always got messed up, with all her writhing and rolling around. It was cute.

Daryl tossed her shirt at her, "Better get dressed, darlin'. They'll be expectin' us." She pouted but slipped it on over her thin form, and he could not help but mourn the loss of skin.

"Can't we just stay here?" She asked, knowing the answer was no but wanting her lover to be certain he was all she wanted. A rare smile ghosted across his lips at the question, and he shook his head.

"Rick's prolly lookin' for me. Wouldn't do no good for him to walk in on us nekkid as the day we were born in a room reekin' like this." She sighed and climbed over to him, moving to stand between his legs. He ran a hand over the bare flesh, nothing to cover her bottom half but her panties.

"Y'know," she told him, "it's prolly a good thing I don't make the rules around here, or else you wouldn't be allowed to _own_ a shirt, let alone wear one around."

She ran a finger down his chest, and he smirked. With a final, lingering kiss, he forced himself away from her and left her to dress. As he walked out, he figured he had better find some candles or something for next time; pretty soon the whole damn hall was going to smell like what they were up to.


	16. Chapter 16

R_S: So to balance out the sexual focus of last chapter, here's something cute and silly.

To **SailorJollyRegina** - I really wanna say I appreciate your reviews and continuous input in this story, it means a lot. Looking back on that chapter, I realized that it certainly lacked clarity and did make it seem like they were progressing just as fast as any other story, so I would like to apologize for that and set things straight. It was only one sentence that mentioned it, so I should have emphasized it more, but they were dating for a while before things got physical, just talking and kissing for weeks. Then they became more intimate, but that does not necessarily equate to sex. And personally, I think that makes sense for a young woman of 18 or so to explore her sexuality with the man she's with. I hope that did a better job of illustrating what was going on last chapter! Tomorrow's scene will deal with it in more detail.

* * *

**Bittersweet**

Daryl wandered through the halls of the prison, searching for Beth. He had not seen her all day, and he was starting to worry- though he would never admit it. Usually, though, she made a point of seeking him out, if only to share a passing word or sneak a kiss around corners. He felt pathetic, but her absence from his day was more distracting than when she actually came to distract him. After a few hours, it was beginning to grate on his nerves, and that afternoon found him slipping away to find her. Beth was alone when he did, so focused she hardly noticed him come into the room for a long moment, as she fiddled with something.

"I did it!" She squealed, jumping up and down. Before her was an awkward, broken, homemade contraption made of what looked like a broom-handle and a gasoline tank. Daryl gave her a look like she was crazy.

"What'd y'all do, exactly?"

"Butter," she stated simply, looping her arms around his shoulders for a quick kiss, "we have _butter_. Do you know how long it's been since I had butter?"

"A long time, I reckon… but I ain't sure I follow. Where the hell'd ya find it, n' how ya know it's still good?"

"Cuz I didn't find it," she answered proudly, sliding away from his stocky form, "I _made_ it."

"Hell, how'd ya do that?"

Beth shrugged, "When I was a kid, my school took a trip to one of those colonial reenactment places, n' I remembered them talkin' about how to make it. Seemed worth a shot, so I got cream from mama n' repurposed some stuff to make a butter churn. I can only make it in the cold, though, won't work if it's too hot." Daryl looked mildly impressed.

"Well I'll be damned."

"Try some." She offered, and he raised a brow.

"You want me t'try somethin' out of a gas tank? That ya clearly stirred with an ole broom?"

"It ain't _just_ an old broom… I tried that, didn't work. And I cleaned it all first."

"It's still in a gas tank, girl."

"Dar-_ryl_," she whined and pouted, "you really aren't even gonna try? I eat all the weird stuff you bring back."

"S'different, s'for survival. That stuff's good for ya, put some meat on your bones n' all that."

"Well this is good too; could all use a bit of extra fat to keep us warm n' the extra calories to burn." He half shrugged, conceding the point. "Please?"

Daryl sighed, "Alright, give it here." She grinned victoriously and scooped some out for him with a spoon that was sitting on the table. As he went to taste it, however, she began to fidget nervously.

"It's only the first try, so it might not be quite right. I dunno much about how to do this stuff, it might supposed to have sugar or somethin' else we don't have, so it might not taste right."

"Naw, it's good… only tastes a li'l like gasoline." He smirked. Beth looked affronted.

"What?!" She dipped her finger in and scooped a bit of the substance into her mouth. He chuckled as her hand made contact with his arm, dodging half-heartedly. "Oh my god it's _fine_, jerk!"

"I thought you was so confident it was all clean?" His finger looped into her hair, twirling a bit as he teased.

"I was, I just got nervous… been workin' on this for a really long time, is all." Beth absentmindedly rubbed her hands, drawing his eyes to them. The palms were rubbed raw and reddened, like they might start to blister. He grabbed her wrists to get a closer look.

"I can see that, _jesus_." He rubbed them gently, a reproachful expression on his face, "Damnit, girl, y'all gotta take care'a yourself more. Look at this…"

"Oh don't be dramatic; you hurt yourself much worse most'a the time."

"Yeah, well I ain't the best role-model."

She smiled up at him, "I think you do just fine." Their lips connected softly, his thumb still softly rubbing the inside of one of her palms while his other hand looped around her back. She moved in close, flush against him to relish the feel of his warmth. The sound of a door beginning to open had them jumping apart, putting the homemade butter churn between them. If they had not moved away in time, no one seemed to notice. Rick was too busy running his thoughts about maximizing the prison's defense efficiency by Merle, respectfully looking him in the face, while Glenn and Maggie shuffled behind to fix him with less kind expressions. Merle himself just turned away from the conversation to look at the pair, his usual shit-eating grin dancing all the way up to his eyes.

"Well hey there baby brother, L'il Bo Peep. Whach'all doin' here, hmm?"

Maggie managed to tear her gaze away from him long enough to fix her sister with a curious expression, cocking her head to the side, "Beth, what is that?"

"It's, um," her eyes flickered over to Daryl for a moment, "it's a butter churn." They all looked taken aback.

"No way," her sister said, "you made _butter_?" Beth blushed and nodded.

"She was just askin' me t'come take a look at it, see if I can't keep an eye out on runs for better parts." Daryl added smoothly, leaning against the table and crossing his arms. Glenn and Maggie rushed down the steps, Rick and Merle following intrigued.

"Oh my god, that's amazin'!" She squealed.

Glenn's eyes literally shined with excitement, "Can we try some?" The blonde's blush deepened at the attention, and Merle snorted.

"Sure." The spoon was passed around, amidst moans and squeals of delight as she answered questions about the process.

"Beth, you came through again." Rick smiled, "This was really clever. We'll definitely find some more materials n' see what we can do for this. I'm real impressed you thought of it."

"Yeah, I knew you were doin' somethin' with all that time spent sneakin' off," Maggie laughed, "but I'd never'a guessed this." Daryl's eyes dropped down, looking at anything but Beth, who blushed even more deeply.

"Yeah, I, uh, thought it might be a nice surprise. Didn't wanna get anybody's hopes up, 'case it didn't work… Anyway, Judith'll be up soon. I think we'll go keep Carol company for a while. Lemme know if ya need anything."

With a sweet smile, Beth left the room, her eyes catching Daryl's last as she slipped out the door.

* * *

R_S: Uh-oh, are people gonna figure them out? We shall see... ;)

Ok, so I finally saw the S3 premiere, which means you get to hear my thoughts on Daryl and Beth (if you don't read this, I won't be offended haha).

At first, when I saw the ZackxBeth bit, I was disappointed, but I wasn't really upset cuz c'mon- we all KNEW that was coming. He grew on me very quickly, so I was like 'yeah, ok, I can get behind this,' and I was surprisingly disappointed when he died. Admittedly a little relieved they left the door open for her now, too, but there was some definite feeling sad for him there. I don't love how they did her reaction, though. My favorite thing about Beth is that she was like a real girl in that situation- soft and sweet and just trying to make the best of it. I understand why she reacted the way she did, and it's proof of character development, but I'm not sure I like it. I like a more innocent and doe-eyed Beth, and we don't need another Carl debacle. (Side note: Wtf, Maggie? I get that Glenn and you are fighting b/c you want a baby, but your sister's boyfriend was eaten for the second freaking time and she tried to kill herself once- maybe put your biological clock aside for a minute and give a fuck... you're one of my favorites, don't mess it up.)

Here's my feelings on the Caryl pairing: I'm honestly not a big fan of Carol, never was. She's very strong and a good role model, but I never felt connected to her. She has had a GREAT character arc of growing stronger and more independent and coming into her own, serious kudos to her (though not for doing things behind the prison's back this episode...). I do love her friendship with Daryl, and my reasoning for not wanting them to be together has nothing to do with her personally. The producers/writers have been saying from the beginning that they want them to be based purely in friendship, which is so rare on television nowadays - it's partly why I'm so excited about Once Upon a Time in Wonderland (which is great, fyi, def check it out). That's an important HarryxHermione dynamic that's so missing, the idea that a man and a woman can be platonic or even slightly flirtatious friends and nothing more. Putting them together now would just be pandering to the shippers, which can be ok sometimes, but I'm just not feeling it in this case due to aforementioned reasons. I'm hoping the whole 'I liked you first' and 'pookie' flirtations are a nod to that, where people in the camp constantly think they're a thing so it's become an inside joke.

So the scene between Daryl and Beth... I really liked it. It was ambiguous, with a mutual respect that I genuinely appreciated. If nothing happens between them, which is likely and understandable, I enjoy the dynamic of him acknowledging her as an adult and protecting her while she comforts him. I'm really interested to see where things go with them, friendship or otherwise. We shall see.

Feel free to rant to me about any of your opinions haha. I'm a firm believer in no hate, so your thoughts shall not be judged =)


	17. Chapter 17

**Bittersweet**

Night in the prison was quiet, still. It was the one thing that never stopped being jarring, the constant permeating silence that filled each crevice and insulated the world. It had an almost physical presence; you could feel it on your skin. Sometimes it was a comfort, but much more often, it was sickening. And never before had anyone wanted some sort of background noise as much as Daryl and Beth did that night. The couple wanted something to cut through the quiet, anything to distract from the awkwardness around them. Beth was curled on her side away from him, willing the tears in her eyes not to fall.

"I'm sorry." She whispered, voice cracking. She felt him shift beside her.

"You ain't got nothin' to be sorry 'bout, darlin'." Daryl's voice was soft and smooth, the tone he reserved for whispering to his li'l ass kicker. Turning over, she looked at him to see if she could read on his face a dismissal, to see if that tone was reserved for babies and children. Maybe, since she could not give him what a man needs, he did not want her anymore. But one glance at his pained, guilty expression told her that was not true. He looked uncomfortable and almost as upset as she was. Her eyes met his.

"I really meant to." She said, and she had. But she shut down, like she had with the Governor. Beth had been fine with their usual level of intimacy: deep kisses, soft pawing, and wandering mouths. That was all fine, amazing as always. Daryl had a way about him that made her desire him constantly, made her try to commit every detail of their time to memory. Then, when he moved on top of her, positioned himself to connect them in the most intimate of ways like she had asked him to, her mind left her. Her body went rigid, and her eyes lost focus. Daryl sensed the change instantly, rolling far away from her as quickly as possible, wearing that sweet expression he always did when trying to puzzle the best way to protect her from a walker. He always wanted to protect her like that. But in that moment, that childish need for protection infuriated and embarrassed her; she was too much of a child to have sex with her boyfriend. That realization still sat heavy in her chest, as though to physically weigh her down.

He placed a hand to her face, "I know. That don't matter; you don't owe me nothin'."

"I-I know, that, but I _wanted_ to, but I'm too much of a child to-"

"There ain't nothin' childish bout that; nothin' wrong with not doin' it. So you wanted to, that don't necessarily make it the right time; we haven't been together all that long, anyhow…" A moment of silence stretched out, and he coughed uncomfortably, "You talked t'anybody 'bout this? I hear it helps… bet Maggie'd understand. I know Carol would. Y'could just say yer scared about the idea or somethin', no need for particulars."

Beth shook her head slowly, "Maggie's only just startin' to talk to me like her sister again instead of a spooked horse; I can't bear for things to go back to the way they were. And after what that man did to her… I can't dredge up her suffering again. And Carol… she's so tired. I don't want her tryin' to be strong for me; she needs to save her strength for more important things. I don't need to talk to anyone anyway; I'm fine."

"Beth," he turned her head toward him with a hand on her chin, "I know when a person says they fine n' they ain't." Instead of answering, she shrugged and looked down. He tucked an errant strand of hair behind her ear and moved away to study her. There really weren't many women to talk to in that prison, he supposed, but keeping it bottled up like that was killing her. He should never have let her get taken in the first place, and now her suffering was extended for it.

"It isn't you, Daryl, _really_. I just… I dunno. I kinda never expected to be in this situation, I guess."

He shook his head, "No one did."

"No, I mean… before everything and with… with him, I always figured I wouldn't be with a man until I was married." Beth looked down, playing with the blankets of their make-shift bed, and could almost feel the guilt and self-loathing wash over her lover and radiate from him. Instantly she wished she could take the words back, regretting them.

"You still can… what he did to you wasn't right, but you don't gotta let it-"

"No, I don't want to anymore, really… the world is different; _I'm_ different. It's not like he made me give up on it- this was my choice. You don't have to look guilty, you didn't do anythin' wrong." A silence spread between them, her eyes searching his lean form as his hand played with her hair. The gears in her mind were working and turning, but Daryl was not sure how to coax their workings from her.

"I never been the best with words," he said finally, "but I don't reckon I gotta be to listen."

She shook her head, "Daryl, you don't have to do that."

"I want to. Ain't healthy to keep it in; don't want you turnin' into a mess like me." He shot her a little smirk, earning a watery smile.

"I don't think of you as a mess… you're perfect." Her voice was earnest, tone sweet. His heart froze at her words, feeling pressured and relieved all at once, watching her pick at a thread on the couch as she continued, "Isn't much to talk about anyway. I know people don't believe me, but I wasn't, like, abused there- not really. He hit me once, but I don't think it was on purpose; he was havin' an episode and his hand swung out and clipped the side of me." Her hand went up to finger the cheek that had been swollen months ago. "And to be fair, I was lucky that was all; he was freaking out. We had sex the first time, and I was… he could tell I'd never… y'know."

"Just cuz he ain't hit you doesn't mean it wasn't abuse." He told her quietly. "He had no right to take what he did from you."

"I know... what happened was worse than if he'd just laid hands on me, in some ways, but I went along with it. It wasn't _violent_; it could have been worse. I thought I was over it."

"I ain't sure you ever get over shit like that… y'know I'd kill him all over again for ya." It was a great testament to his increased self-control how well Daryl was handling that conversation. The renewed fury that coursed through his veins was almost imperceptible, but Beth looked at the way his muscles coiled like a snake about to strike and the fire that danced in his eyes, and she just knew. It made her feel oddly better, and she curled against his chest, reveling in the safe feeling she found there.

"I know… not sure I'd want you too. Killin' him to protect our family is one thing. Killin' him to avenge me… I don't wanna be the reason for someone's death. I don't think I could bear that." That left him at a loss for words; revenge had always been a strong impulse of his. He cradled her to him, her head wresting in the crook of his neck, their naked legs entwined. An introspective silence spread, much better than the previous one but still slightly awkward.

"Feelin' any better?" He asked finally. She shrugged against him.

"Kinda… It doesn't bother me any less, but it feels like all this pressure's been let out of my chest, y'know?"

"No," the man answered honestly, "never felt anythin' like that…" She was airing her internal scars. He had never done so with his physical ones.

She snuggled closer to him, mumbling sleepily, "It's relieving."

It still did not prepare him for his turn to reciprocate.


	18. Chapter 18

R_S: I'm glad y'all seemed to like the interactions between Daryl and Beth last scene. I think it might be one of my favorites, just because of how much fun it was to explore that dynamic of their desire for intimacy and the baggage holding them back. Here's another sweet one with Judith... I love thinking of Daryl and Beth as parents haha.

* * *

**Bittersweet**

Beth sighed tiredly, bouncing the baby in her arms. Judith did _not_ want to go to sleep that night, fussing and cooing discontentedly. It started when Michonne left, like she somehow _knew_. A small group of stragglers had stopped by the prison, uninterested in staying but intrigued by their little society. They were strange and quiet, but Michonne knew them, affection flashing across her features at their arrival. But it seemed the life she had built in their homely prison was not what they wanted, and she had opted to take leave with them. Maybe someday she would return, she assured them, because she had been happy there. Whoever those people were, though, had a much tighter hold on her, and all left the next morning.

Now, 3 days later, Judith still mourned the loss of another member of her family.

"Oh please, baby girl," Beth groaned, "please go to sleep for me." It only made the little girl coo louder, so she sighed, softening her voice.

"Maybe you're not feelin' too good? My mama always used to sing when I couldn't sleep or was sick… I had a favorite.

_Somewhere, over the rainbow, way up high… there's a land that I heard of, once in a lullaby_"

Beth swayed as she sung and pressed her nose to the tiny girl's forehead, the sound of it drowning out the door's creak. Judith lessened her fussing, quieting down.

"_Somewhere, over the rainbow, skies are blue… and the dreams that you dare to dream really do come true_

_Someday I'll wish upon a star and wake-up where the clouds are far behind me_

_Where troubles melt like lemon drops, oh way above the chimney tops_

_That's where you'll find me..._"

A tiny hand reached out towards her, and Beth gave the baby her finger. They sauntered over to her bed softly, the young woman continuing to sing as she eased the baby into her bed.

"_Somewhere over the rainbow… blue birds fly_

_Birds fly over the rainbow, why then oh why can't I?_

_If happy little blue birds fly beyond the rainbow, why oh why can't I?_"

The baby settled, slowly drifting to sleep, and Beth could not resist leaning over to press a soft kiss to the baby's forehead, "Good night, darling… sweet dreams. I love you." When she turned around, she gasped, Daryl standing there leaning against the stair rail.

"Sorry," he said, voice low so as not to wake the baby, "didn't mean t'scare ya."

"It's fine," she said, twirling a strand of hair with a blush, "I just didn't hear you come in… how long you been standin' there?"

He shrugged, "Not long… was just listenin' to you sing the li'l ass kicker to sleep. Didn't think anythin' was gonna settle her t'day." Beth blushed modestly, reaching a hand out to him. He acquiesced, giving his, and watched her play with his fingers.

"Yeah, she's been a bit finicky lately, but… I knew that would work. It always used to calm me down when my mama sang it. I loved that movie, thought I was just like Dorothy, cuz we both grew up on farms." Daryl caught her eye, staring at her seriously.

"It was beautiful." He whispered candidly, pulling her closer to him. She smiled up softly as he tucked an errant wisp of hair behind her ear. "_You're_ beautiful…" He was so rarely this sweet and soft, had such a difficult time saying what he wanted to, but when he did, it was amazing and warmed every inch of her from her head to her toes. She leaned up and placed a soft kiss on his cheek, curling into his form. He held her there for a long moment, his cheek settling on the top of her head, before pulling her over to Judith. The couple stared down at the baby affectionately, as though she was their own child.

"I swear, she's gettin' more n' more beautiful every day." Beth smiled, "I think she's gonna look just like Lori… I hope if I have a daughter, she's just like her." He peered at her out of the corner of his eye.

"Yeah?" He asked.

"Yeah. Wouldn't you?" He blushed and shifted, clearly uncomfortable with the turn their conversation took and the idea of being a daddy, but eventually he nodded.

"Yeah, I think I would. You're real good with her, a natural at this stuff."

She smiled, "Thanks. I didn't know I could love anythin' as much as I love her, y'know?"

"Yeah, I do." She looked up at him, face tired but happy, and captured his lips in a lingering kiss, looping her fingers with his again. It was sweet and wonderful, and Daryl could not help but think that every day spent before kissing Beth Greene, touching her, had been a day completely wasted. She sunk down from her tippy-toes.

"Wanna go to bed, baby?" She asked, playing with the edge of his shirt.

He smirked, "Sure would."

She bent over to check on Judith one last time in her make-shift bassinette, pushing out the pert little ass that connected to long legs he often thought about wrapped around his waist, guiltily mourning her youth and inexperience. He knew she was not ready to take that step, had panicked when they tried to a while back, but goddamn was it hard on a man with needs. And those long, shapely legs haunted his dreams, along with the way she looked staring up at him.

Shit, Daryl thought, he really was going to hell… but he was pretty sure Beth Greene was worth it.


	19. Chapter 19

**Bittersweet**

**Chapter 19  
**

"Daryl," Beth asked him one evening, looking at him curiously as they dressed, "how'd you get those scars?"

He froze a moment. "What?"

"What're they from?" She said again. Eyes blazing, he fixed her with the coldest glare she had ever seen, intense enough to make her blood run cold.

"Is this funny to you? You tryin' t'be cute? Cuz it ain't."

"D-Daryl, I didn't mean anythin' by it, I-"

"_Don't_. I ain't got time to deal with an obnoxious child. Go ask someone else your stupid questions today!" She recoiled slightly as though she had been physically hit, cheeks coloring and eyes clouding with anger. They watered slightly, as they always seemed to.

"Go to hell!" She hissed at him, storming past. She grabbed her boots on the way out and slammed the door, not caring at all that her actions were tantamount to a child's hissy-fit.

He deserved it.

* * *

R_S: Ok, I lied earlier on in this story... this is the shortest scene. I think. Honestly, I wrote a lot, it's hard to keep track.

Anyway, I thought this was a better way to deal with Daryl's scars than what's often done; he wouldn't bring them up at all of his own accord or have a deep meaningful talk about them- he would let the Dixon anger out. Poor Beth has no idea what she's done...


	20. Chapter 20

R_S: So when we left off, our favorite couple was fighting... let's see how that pans out ;)

* * *

**Bittersweet**

By the time afternoon rolled around the next day, Daryl was in an incredible state. Beth had hardly looked at him at dinner or breakfast, and she still had not apologized. She had not even tried to seek him out that night- he knew, because even though he had been hiding, he had still been watching. Not that he was some pussy that needed an apology, but it was damn disrespectful that she was not trying. He tried to sit with Carol for a while rather than think about it, but his sour mood was too much to take. Both Hershel and she kicked him out after only an hour. So instead, he made his way to the kitchen, thinking maybe he could check the meat supply and see if he could find some excuse to go on a hunt. At least it would get him away from people for a while. But standing there, looking at the pile, he realized that he had no idea what amount was necessary to feed a group of their current size. He usually just went out when a certain blond someone said supplies were low, so no matter how long he stared at the salted meats, he would never figure out the right call. Only one person knew enough about their domestic necessities to do that, and asking would sort of defeat the purpose of his entire endeavor. She had no desire to see him either, if that tantrum was anything to go by. Still, the idea of their needing more food had wormed its way into his head, and he felt certain he should look into it, albeit with gritted teeth.

He trudged outside, finding her quickly. She glanced up at his approach but otherwise did not acknowledge his existence in the slightest. He crossed his arms. After almost a minute of being ignored, he cleared his throat. She did not stop her work.

"I'm busy, whad'ya want?" The girl sniped.

"Wonderin' what meat we got left n' if I need to go get more; you're the one who'd know." He studied her, suspicious gaze trailing up and down her form. "You sound pissed." She rolled her eyes and did not look at him.

"Yeah, I'm angry with you, Daryl. I'll check the stock when I'm finished and let you know."

He snorted in disbelief, anger growing. "_You're_ angry? You?"

"Yes, _obviously_. And if you're not here to apologize, then-"

"_Apologize_? Bullshit! After what you said t'me, that's the dumbest-" She turned on him, eyes blazing. Her voice lowered so as not to be overheard, looking around quickly to ensure their privacy.

"I'm NOT dumb! And you're an _asshole_. I know I don't know what kinds'a things are out there, ok, and maybe I haven't seen as much of the world as you. But don't treat me like I'm just some stupid child, because I'm not! I've grown up as much from this world as anybody else, and you can't tell me I'm not smart," she shook her head, "not when I know I am. Trying to make me feel bad for tryin' to understand- that was so messed up, I can't even believe it." She turned back to her work in an effort to hide her face from him. She had begun to sniffle, and he knew she was going to cry. "I might be naïve, fine. But I am _not_ stupid."

"Shit… you really were askin', weren't ya?" He asked, voice low, "You ain't never seen anything like that n' couldn't think of how it happened." She sniffed and did not look at him, but she answered him with a tone of forced casualness.

"Was it a huntin' accident or somethin'?" His hand caught her wrist, tiny in his grip.

"C'mere." She allowed herself to be pulled away to a secluded, shadowy corner where they would be difficult to see and let him brush some stray hair behind her ear. He was rarely this tender, and she was not quite sure how to respond, so despite her anger she allowed his intimacy.

"You weren't pokin' fun, were ya." It was a statement of understanding rather than a question. Her eyes met his.

"I would _never_ do that."

"Yeah, you wouldn't." And god it was true. The fact that he thought she was served as proof of how messed up his head had gotten. The girl was not capable of such things, could not stomach it and had never been exposed. She was so sweet and so pure, like vanilla ice cream. It looked plain, and you expected it to be boring, but it always seemed to surprise you. It was sweet and delicious, melting in your mouth. She did not look like much, but she was stronger than most people he had met in his life- a life that was longer and darker than hers. He wondered yet again if he could live with the guilt of corrupting her, if he shouldn't be less selfish and keep away for her own good. He wasn't meant for that. He was all salt and vinegar, bitter and sharp and the one flavor that could even ruin vanilla ice cream.

He looked down at her, eyes broken, "Beth… we shouldn't be seein' each other, you know that."

"No, I don't…Don't be like that, Daryl. It was just a stupid fight. I'm sorry I hurt your feelings, really."

He shook his head, "The fact you can ask a question like that, the way y'ain't got a mean bone in your body… it's proof you got innocence left in ya. You can't let me take that."

"You're not takin' anything, Daryl." Despite the risk of being seen, she tucked herself against him, head nestled into the crook of his neck. He smelled a little stale and sweaty, but she did not mind.

"Will you meet me again tonight?"

She giggled against his skin, "Y'miss me?" He puckered, unwilling to bruise his ego further.

"Yes or no, Beth?" She tried (and failed) to mimic his smirk back up at him.

"Maybe… if you promise to apologize."

* * *

R_S: Hehe, Beth's so sassy :p

I love that depth they're finally starting to give her on the show. She's such a fun character.

Review please!


	21. Chapter 21

**Bittersweet**

Dinner was a happy affair, full of laughter and story-telling. Glenn had another run-in with Big Mama that day, and the hilarity of it had Maggie and Beth regaling the group with further tales of life on a farm. Animals, it turned out, were quite the source of amusement. It was one of those things that was forgotten in the thick of everything the world had come to. It was nice to see the joy playing out on their faces as Beth wrapped up a story about Shawn and a hog.

"… so eventually we got him outta the feed house, but ya know, he never went 'round that part'a the farm again. Every time Otis needed an extra set of hands, it was always me or Maggie helpin' him."

"Y'know, your accents gotten a lot thicker." Maggie said abruptly, changing the subject.

"What d'ya mean?"

"I mean that, that right there- you sound like an actual southerner for once." She teased, bumping her shoulder with her own. "Where'd ya pick it up from?"

"Oh, um, I dunno; just comes from livin' with everyone in here I guess… I always had an accent, though."

"Not like this. I'm begginin' to reckon we're a bad influence on ya, li'l lady." She drawled heavily in a caricature southern voice, eliciting a laugh. "Seriously, though, where you pickin' that up?"

Beth's eyes drifted towards Daryl of their own accord, where he was perched up on the stairs pretending not to listen beside his brother. "I guess some of the kids or somethin'."

Later, between the shuddering gasps elicited by lips and hands, she told him they had to be more careful.


	22. Chapter 22

**Bittersweet**

Daryl was perched atop the guard tower, had been for hours, hardly leaving over the past two days. He chewed his thumbnail thoughtfully as he glared down at the mass of undead just outside the gate. Disgusting bastards. It made him burn just to see them, made him fight the urge to go down there and tear them all limb from limb. He wanted to destroy them until not a single one was left to find their way in again.

Children. They had been just _children_, and now they were eaten alive, almost all of them. He had lost a great friend protecting them… had almost lost his woman.

At that thought, he heard her approach yet again. Beth had been checking on him like clockwork since it happened, bringing him food and making sure he was comfortable as could be. Trying to coax him out of hiding up there in his perch. She was so delicate and sweet, trying to ease his suffering, but he had failed, _again_. It was Sophia Peletier all over again, but to the umpteenth power. They were only glad Carol had not seen.

"Daryl," Beth said as soon as she walked in, "you can't keep doin' this. It's been two days. You gotta come down, be with us. We _need_ you." Gone were the soft-spoken whispers like he was a spooked horse; her tactic had changed.

"Y'need me here, watchin' out for everything." He stated simply looking away from her. She shook her head, fixing him with a stubborn expression.

"No, we need you with us and well. You've hardly eaten, barely slept… ya can't stay holed up in here!" He tried to turn away, but she strode forward, grasping his hand and pulling him back toward her, "No, don't pull away from me, Daryl Dixon! Talk to me, baby, _please_."

He stared at her heavily, "Ain't got nothin' to talk about."

"Now is not the time to pull the strong-and-silent schtick. You need to talk, and I'm here to listen." He snorted.

"Listen to what, the way I messed up?

"No, you didn't. None of us saw that breach comin'. It was a fluke, a rusty bolt."

"That don't bring back those kids."

"No," she agreed quietly, eyes dropping for a moment, "it doesn't… but you saved the ones you could, saved _me_. That counts for somethin'." He softened ever so slightly at that, staring at her affectionately. If she had died, he did not know what he would have done. It was the way Beth felt every time he went off, sick to her bones.

"What about the li'l ass kicker?" He growled pointedly.

"She was fine; she was with Rick."

"Wasn't supposed to be, though… was supposed to be in there with you. Hell, I let them get to _you_, I-"

"Look at me Daryl," she ordered, voice wavering, "this _wasn't_ your fault. You fight every day for our home and our family. For _us_. No one knew they were gonna get in that way, wasn't anythin' to be done until it was too late. Those kids are in heaven now, and Tyreese too, up there with Sasha. It's over. There wasn't anythin' you could'a done differently, and ya know that. You weren't even there, couldn't have gotten there from the other side of camp any faster'n you did."

"Yeah… yeah, I know. Don't make me any less pissed-off, though." Daryl admitted, leaning against the wall. It was quiet for a minute as she regarded him thoughtfully, big tired eyes looking at him like she was desperate for it all to be over.

"You feelin' any better?" She asked.

He shrugged, "Not really… I ain't goin' back in to sit with everyone; don't feel up to them nosin' into my business."

"Fine, I figured as much; told them I was bringin' you some water and goin' to bed. We'll just sit inside the two of us, but I'm not lettin' ya sit out here on your own anymore. You're driving yourself crazy." She walked toward the exit, "C'mon."

Daryl followed her down from the tower, noting that one of the newer guys was waiting down there to relieve him. Beth must have given the kid explicit instructions to wait for her to collect him, had probably brought someone each time she went to him. People listened to her like that sometimes, categorizing her as one of the original prison survivors rather than a little girl. It made him feel better about them, about their pseudo-relationship… or relationship, he supposed. So much had grown between them and she had become such a part of him that it could be categorized as nothing less. The girl was probably the most important thing in that whole godforsaken world to him, and that was part of what scared him the most.

As they walked, through the dark halls, he noticed the slight limp in her step and clenched his jaw. She had been in there with the kids, playing games with Tyreese and them when the walkers attacked. The man had given his life protecting her as they fought off the waves of undead while the children fled. Beth had given her all to protect those kids, taken as unaware as he was, and she was nearly surrounded when the others and he found her in there. She was never much of a fighter and had not been making much of a dent. Running on adrenaline at the time, whatever injuries she sustained must not have been noticed. Now, though, it was obvious she was feeling something in the dragging of her form. Even in the darkness, he could make out a dusting of deep bruises on her skin.

"Hey," he called, "… you ok?"

She nodded, yanking open the door to their place, "I'm fine." But her voice wavered, exhausted and sad.

"Y'don't sound fine." Beth let out a watery laugh.

"We always do that, call the bluff when we tell each other we're fine… eventually we gotta figure out we know each other too well to get away with it." She was trying to add some levity to the mood, but it was not working. Daryl was struck by the realization of how strong his girl really was. Maybe not physically, but that was the only way she was weaker than him. Etched onto her face was a deep sadness; he had just been too preoccupied with his own pain to notice it before. She had been there that day, had seen the children she reared fall. But Beth put all that aside for him, to ease the pain he had been feeling in lieu of addressing her own suffering. He privately cursed himself out.

"Shit, Beth, I ain't been the best to you with all this… how ya holdin' up?"

She shrugged, playing with the blanket, "I'm alright, I guess." But even as she spoke, tears began spilling down her cheeks, making a slow track down her face. He stepped up to her.

"It's ok not t'be." A choked sob escaped her lips, and she turned to him, finally exposing herself for the first time in days.

"I-I tried, Daryl- there were so many, I-"

"I know, baby." He whispered softly, trying to be the sweet and sensitive one for once, but he did not know what to say. "You couldn't fight all of 'em."

Her eyes drifted away, staring unfocussed and empty to the side of him, "I've never felt so useless in my life." He curled a finger beneath her chin and tilted her face up to look at him.

"Hey! You _ain't_ useless. You do more for this camp, for this family, than you know. It's like ya said to me: there was nothing more you could'a done. There were too many of them- too many walkers n' too many kids. But you're prolly the most useful person in this whole damn hell." She tried to turn her head away, but he took her head in his hands, bringing her forehead to his.

"Daryl-"

"Hey!" He tightened his grip, and his blue eyes searching hers as he spoke, seeming vibrant with crackling intensity. "I ain't a liar, and I don't say things just to say 'em. Think about what you do for those kids every day, the shit you went through for Judith. If you got any question about purpose here, look at me. You think I consider you any less important?" She stared at him for a long moment, something indecipherable behind her stormy eyes.

"Beth?" He questioned softly. Rather than respond, she pressed her lips to his, softly at first but with growing intensity. She walked him back and onto the bed, hands fiddling his clothes as she straddled him.

He pushed her away, ignoring the hurt look on her face, "If you're looking for a use, best try somethin' else. You're more'n this, darlin'."

"Daryl," Her voice was frustrated, pleading, "I want you." She leaned in again to kiss him and try to make him give in, but he was having none of it. Instead he turned her around, her back pressed against him as he cocooned her in his warmth on the bed.

"You need to rest, you ain't been keepin' yourself healthy. I'll stay with you until you fall asleep."

In that moment, Beth thought Daryl Dixon had never been more beautiful, and her heart stopped hurting for the first time in a week.

* * *

R_S: As soon as I started this story, I knew I wanted a scene like this... not sure how I feel about how it came out, though :/

Please let me know what you think, guys! I love all you're reviews =)


	23. Chapter 23

**Bittersweet**

Beth's fingers stroked the muscle of Daryl's bicep where it curled around her, remembering how they had gotten where they were. A blush spread across her cheeks, and she bit her lip at the memory. She wondered if she would ever be less shy about their physicality or if it was just something engrained in her, like bashfulness about sex was a personality trait. She assumed it was something more along those lines, because there was nothing about what they had done that she was ashamed of. He was beautiful. He made her feel beautiful. What they did, she imagined, must be have been beautiful. There was a depth to their connection now, something she never could have fathomed. Beth wondered if this was how Glenn and Maggie felt when they were together and wished she could ask, but some part of her knew that it was.

So much had changed between Daryl and her, evolving from stolen moments and awkward kisses to what they now were. Their first fight was months ago. He had never apologized – Daryl was not one for 'I'm sorry's – but that night, he told her about the scars on his back. He was vague and brusque about it, offering nothing but the bare minimum by way of explanation, that his father was seriously messed up and that Merle's and his childhood had been nothing like her own, but it was the first time he ever opened up to her about anything truly personal. And it was the first time she found herself truly wanting to make love to him. It was a tragic story, but it was part of what made Daryl _her_ Daryl. He was no less perfect in her eyes, god like, and she wanted to show him. The knowledge struck her like a sudden revelation, and she was suddenly so certain that she wanted to be with him. Two weeks later, when the desire was still as intense as it had been upon first realization, she allowed things to progress and even pursued them herself.

It was felt strange but right to no longer be a virgin. Beth had considered herself still to be one, in a way, after the whole thing with the Governor. At first she had not, feeling dirty and used and like her whole life had been torn asunder. But she had not had sex, not really; he had screwed her, but she mostly just lied there. She never wanted it, and she had done nothing to participate in it, except when he made her. She had done nothing wrong. With Daryl, it had been different. Sex before marriage was supposed to be a sin, she knew, but she figured God would forgive her. The world was different now, and you had to find happiness where you could. Daryl made her so incredibly happy. How could something that felt so utterly perfect be wrong? He had been so delicate with her, so careful their first times, like she was the most precious thing he had ever encountered. In many ways, to Daryl, she was.

Breathing in the scent of him and curling further into his warmth, Beth giggled. No one would ever have imagined that he could be how he was with her, that under that course exterior was such kindness. Others saw vague inclinations of the beauty in his soul, but only she got to see it to the fullest extent. Only she got to hear the words whispered breathlessly in her ear as he moved inside her.

He was like extra dark chocolate, sharp on your tongue at first but melting away to sweet undertones. It's bitter at the first bite, and you might want to spit it out, but the sugar is there, you just have to get to it. You think of it as an indulgence, tell yourself you only want a piece, but it's secretly healthy and blatantly addictive, impossible not to come back for more. That was Daryl, pushing everyone and everything away from the beginning, only to devote himself wholly to the ones who had stuck around. It was evident in the way he cared for the camp, for Judith and Carol, for Beth. He was tough as nails but had a gooey center, and though Merle sometimes tried to mock him for it, there was no shame in that. It was funny; he thought of her as the complete opposite. Beth was all softness, rainbows and puffy clouds made of cotton candy. But when you got down to it, Daryl knew, she was just as tough as any other. You just had to see it.

Her nestling woke him, causing him to pull her tighter against his form.

"Whacha 'wake for?" He mumbled groggily, causing her to laugh.

"I dunno, couldn't sleep… just thinkin' is all, 'bout how lucky we are."

"Ain't luck, darlin', s'grit… we gotta get up soon?"

She sighed, "Yeah, I think so," but only nuzzled closer instead. He tightened his hold in response.

"Shit… I think I promised Rick I'd try to come up with a way to better train the new guys. S'gonna be a damn pain in my ass."

"Hmm… I think you'd be a good teacher, prolly only shoot maybe, like, 2 students. 3 _tops_."

"Hell, when'd ya get so damn cheeky?" Daryl shoved her over, and she laughed, turning to smack him softly with a pillow. He grabbed it away from her easily, flipping her over with gentle movements. Beth laughed loudly, not minding how easily he won their play wrestling, and let him kiss her soundly, moaned as they progressed deeper.

"You're-" she tried to get in between kisses, "gonna be- late." A final long, sensual kiss held between them, and he pulled away slowly.

"Yeah… yeah, I know. I'll see you later tonight, darlin'?"

She beamed up at him, "Always."


	24. Chapter 24

**Bittersweet**

Beth rung her hands uneasily, chewing her lip and willing her eyes not to seek the comfort of Daryl's form. He was leaning over the table between Rick and his brother, deep in thought, as they discussed news. A scout said another group had moved into the local area, a big one, and it was unclear whether or not they aimed to coexist. As it was, coexistence was virtually impossible in a world of such limited resources. If they banded together, there was a slim chance, but no one knew if that was an option with them. It was an open debate as to whether or not they should be sought out, the situation confronted head on, or if the prison should lay low and maintain anonymity as long as possible.

Hershel sighed, rubbing his forehead, "Both sides make reasonable arguments, but at some point we've got to decide what the risks are worth, the lesser of two evils. Now Rick, you've been playin' devil's advocate this whole time. I think I speak for all of us when I say I think it's time you told us what you really think."

"The situation's complicated," Rick said, choosing his words carefully, "it ain't one we can make without talkin' it through from every angle; lot's ridin' on this."

"He's worried they gonna come and slaughter us." Carl cut in, popping up from where he had been hiding to listen, "Most of the new folk are useless n'll only slow us down; gotta cut these folk before they know where here."

Rick glared at his son, "You can't say things like that, Carl. You shouldn't even be here."

"Well if you ain't gonna man up n' say what needs to be said, _someone's_ got to." He remarked snidely.

"Carl," Beth admonished, "mind yourself when talkin' to your father." Something in that comment, so reminiscent of what she had said so long ago when Lori was alive, set something off in the boy.

"Just shut the hell _up_, Beth!" Carl snapped at her, "You ain't my mother! What, those kids are dead so now you gotta go babyin' every damn person here just so you got a purpose?"

"Hey, that's enough!" Daryl's voice cut through, impressive and intimidating enough to shock the boy into silence, if only for a moment. "You do _not_ talk t'her like that, y'hear me boy? 'Pologize to Beth- _now_!" But just as Beth had grown, Carl was not the same budding prepubescent child anymore, and being called a boy only added fuel to the fire ignited by his teenage hormones, making him all the more snide.

"I don't see why you care, Dixon. I'm real sick of you two, gettin' off playin' mommy and daddy all the time. The way ya team up is like some sick fetish. You wanna be parents so bad, why don't y'all go out back n' make it happen so you can stop botherin' me all the god damn time; unless you're already screwin-"

"CARL!" Rick yelled, jarred by the sudden turn, "That's enough! How dare you go shootin' your mouth off a them like that!"

"But dad, it's damn true! They're always off together doin' god knows what-"

"Hey, what'd I _just_ say 'bout shootin' your mouth off!" He strode forward and took his son by the arm, pulling him aside, "We got real issues here, Carl, and it's no time for you to be givin' lip, especially not to them."

"Son," Hershel interjected, oddly calm considering the topic, "those are some very serious accusations to make. You cannot say things like that." Merle's eyes bore shamelessly into the couple in question, unheeding of all others, whose gazes flickered to the two. The old man's words seemed to take all the piss and fire out of the boy, deflating him.

Carl looked away, cheeks flushed slightly with embarrassment, "I know, I'm sorry… I should'nt'a implied nothin'. I know they just spend time together to take care of the camp."

Once no one else was looking and the conversation had moved on, Daryl and Beth exchanged glances, half surprised they were getting away with things and half praying they still would. Somewhere, in the backs of their minds, they knew it was time to start anticipating something. They just did not have the strength to.

* * *

R_S: Ah, old Carl... This season, I don't think Carl'd say that- he's matured a lot. But before... Anyway, people _have_ noticed Daryl and Beth's connection, just not suspected anything, which I think makes sense. But will it be this tiny seed of doubt that is there undoing, or something else?

Leave a review if you wanna find out! :p


	25. Chapter 25

R_S: So a lot of you are intrigued by the increase in suspicion... I wonder what will happen ;)

* * *

**Bittersweet**

The cafeteria was emptier now, with less people and thus fewer mouths to feed, but it was still bustling with movement and life. The heat and smell of fresh venison stew permeated the room, dinner always having a way of bringing the camp together. Martinez sat across from Carol in quiet discussion, a bond forged once over the pain of losing a child. There might have been something more there in another time, if he was less damaged and she healthier. There was much more domestic work to be done with Carol somewhat incapacitated, but Beth did not mind; she had wanted to be on meal duty that night for a reason.

Daryl was perched at the top of the stairs, where his brother leaned casually against the rail. He always ate with Merle, since they rarely had time to spend together otherwise. The thought caused Beth to bite her lip, knowing that was partially her fault. Nights once spent in silent companionship trying to mend their brotherly bond and get to know each other anew were now often spent with her, as he got to know her in a more biblical sense. Hopefully, what she carried in her hands would fix that somewhat. Hopefully. Daryl would either take what she was about to do really well or really poorly. She hoped it was the former, feeling their eyes pull to her as she ascended the steps.

"Well well well," Merle drawled a smirk on his face as he glanced down at his brother, "if it ain't Li'l Bo Peep. What brings ya to these parts?"

"Hey… I brought y'all something." Beth walked up to the Dixons, surreptitiously glancing behind her. Two plates were balanced in her hands, given makeshift covers with two more. Daryl shot his brother a look, silently warning him not to shoot his mouth off at the sweetest person in camp.

"What's all this?" He asked. The dishes were uncovered to reveal slabs of deer meat on each, not particularly big or fancy but a bit heartier than the stew.

She shrugged, "Figured you went to all the trouble of catchin' dinner, ya might as well get something for it."

"Two plates?" Her secret lover asked, voice low as he searched her face. She smiled softly, knowing what he was asking.

"The _both_ of you brought it in… consider it a thank you." For once, his brother did not have a snide comment to spare.

However, from across the room, Maggie watched the interaction, glaring at Merle with a sour look on her face.

"What the _hell_ is she thinkin'?!" She hissed.

Glenn shook his head, "Mags, she probably just didn't feel right taking some to Daryl and not Merle."

"It just... don't sit right with me; somethin' ain't right, Glenn."

"Seriously, you're overreacting- it's fine, just her usual sweetness. We probably should've expected that she wouldn't keep her distance from that douchebag forever, just not like her."

"Don't matter to me none, she shouldn't even be lookin' at that creep… Imma have a talk with her after dinner."

If only Beth had seen her sister's face, but she was wholly unprepared for what was to come.

* * *

R_S: Nooo Maggie, don't do it! Lol leave a review to tell me how you think it's all gonna go down!


	26. Chapter 26

R_S: So, it's really funny to me how much you guys were like 'omg, Maggie thinks she likes Merle?!' That implication was totally not my intention, but as soon as y'all pointed it out, I realized how much it seemed like that! Just proof that the characters have a life of their own and can really get away from you haha. I looked over this chapter to see if I could adjust it to fit that, but I didn't really see where to work it into the dialogue, so my bad on that haha.

Now... I recommend you brace yourselves...

* * *

**Bittersweet**

Beth hummed quietly to herself as she strolled down the hall, on her way to play with Judith, who had been napping in a side room during dinner. One of the perks of making a meal was not having to clean up after it. A slow smile spread across her lips; she had done a good thing today, gone a long way to make someone feel included and make her boyfriend happy. It was a good feeling, one that warmed her to her toes and colored her cheeks. It made her laugh as she opened the door, shutting it carefully behind her. One one table was the L'il Ass Kicker bassinette, and on another were some guns that someone had been cleaning. She leaned and placed a kiss to the child's head, brushing a gentle hand over it as she hummed. Behind her, she heard the dull creak of the door opening.

"Thought I'd find you here." At his words, Beth turned to smile at Daryl. He made his way slowly down the stairs, watching her with an expression in his eye she had never before seen.

"Had the night free, thought I'd check up on Judith… I thought we were gonna try not to disappear at the same time so obviously anymore. Leavin' after dinner's pretty obvious." She teased but walked over to him anyway, brushing her lips to his. When she went to pull away, his arms looped around her, holding her in place as he buried his face in her neck.

"You ok?" She giggled, and he pulled back to look down at her, expression uncertain as he licked his lips.

"Beth… tonight at dinner, I-…"

She smiled up at him, brushing a strand of hair behind his ear, "I know. He may not be everyone's favorite person, but he does right by you… I hope that was ok."

"More'n." He whispered, lowering his lips to hers. It was sweet and soft, and she reveled in the warmth of him. His arms were her favorite place to be. One hand slid up around his shoulder, as the other drifted across the contours of his chest, and his hand lowered to a more intimate hold as he held her against him tightly.

"What the hell is this?!" Maggie's shrill cry cut through the cool air, a look of abject horror on her features from where she stood in the doorway.

Daryl had forgotten to shut the door.

He and Beth jumped away from each other immediately, but the damage was already done. The two exchanged uneasy glances, searching for excuses, for a way out. "Maggie… this- this isn't what it looks like, I-I…"

"No?" She demanded, stalking forward, "Then what is it?" She turned to Daryl, "Were you just kissin' n pawin' my sister? _Grabbing_ her _ass_?" When he said nothing, she struck him, delivering a slap so hard his head turned and causing Beth to cry out.

"Oh my god, stop it!" The blond rushed forward, but her sister shoved her back, intent on continuing her abuse. For all his faults, Daryl Dixon would never hit a lady… but he would be damned if he let one beat the shit out of him. He caught her tiny wrists in his arms, turning his hip to her in defense, but it only made her buck like a wild stallion. He guided her away from Judith. They scuffled angrily, tripping back and slamming into furniture.

One of the guns fell from the table. Whomever had been cleaning them and putting them back together was new at the art, for the safety was forgotten, and the weapon went off as it hit the ground. No one was hurt, but it was loud enough to startle the trio, cause Judith to scream, and summon many others. Daryl and Maggie stared at each other for a moment, ensuring that the gun was an accident and their fight did not need to be put on hold for the good of the camp, but the only sound that pierced the air was Judith's cries. And Beth's soft tears.

Maggie's eyes narrowed, rounding on Daryl again and lifting her hands to push or strike him, "You son of a _bitch_-"

"What the hell is goin' on here?" Rick demanded, bursting in with others hot on his heels, guns ready.

"What the hell, Maggie," Glenn demanded, looking between the fighting pair, "what're you doing?"

"I want him gone!" She yelled, pointing an accusing finger at the older man, "I want this creep removed from camp!"

"Maggie!" Beth yelled, "You're overreacting! Let's just talk about this _privately_-"

"The hell I will!" She yelled back, "When everyone hears what he's been up to, ain't no one gonna disagree with me!"

"He hasn't-"

"Girls, _girls_," Hershel called, ambling in, "that's enough. Now what's this fightin' all about?"

Heated green eyes turned on Daryl, who stood away looking shadowed and ashamed, only able to meet his brother's eye, "You gonna admit to what you done?" Blue eyes flickered up to her for a moment but dropped down, head turned away.

"Maggie," Beth tried again, "_please_-" She disregarded her sister's pleas and turned to the group, gesturing angrily.

"I just caught him pawin' on my sister. She's half his goddamn age!" Murmurs of shock and opinion spread lowly across the group, everyone peering around each other to get a better view of the drama.

"… Is this true?" Hershel whispered, sounding heartbroken but coldly monotone. Tears welled up in his youngest's eyes.

"Daddy… daddy, I…" He turned away from her to fix Daryl with an angry stare.

"I opened my _home_ to you once, do you remember that? You took advantage of my hospitality, took my food, my horse. And now you take advantage of my _daughter_-"

"Daddy, daddy no, it ain't like that-" Her calls fell on deaf ears as he rounded to the younger man.

"Damnit, I got half a mind to shoot you dead right where you stand!"

"Hey!" Rick cut in, stepping between them, "There won't be none o' that!"

"Let 'em settle it!" A voice called from the group, one of the newer members, "Man's got a right to defend his family, ain't got nothin' to do with ya!"

"Shoot 'im!" Another cried from the back. Murmurs of varying agreement and uncertainty rippled through the room, which Glenn tried to quell.

"Enough! Hey, nothing to see here, everyone go back about their business! Everybody _out_!" He tried to push the crowd away, but people only lingered, taking no more than a step back.

"That's right; no one's shootin' anybody, ok?" Rick barked.

"Then he leaves!" Maggie growled, shoving Daryl once more. Merle stepped forward, anger evident on his face, but Glenn cut into his path, fixing the bigger man with a scowl.

"Now hold on just a minute-"

"Ain't I got a right to defend myself?" Daryl asked gruffly, but Hershel only glared at him, addressing Rick instead.

"Either he goes or we do, Rick. I'm the only doctor you got nowadays, but how many brainless redneck enforcers do you think you can find?"

"Alright, everybody's gotta just take a step back and calm down, _now_! I ain't kickin' anybody out tonight. You all go back to your bunks, we're dealin' with this- end of discussion. Maggie, Hershel, why don't y'all take your Beth to your rooms."

"No," the blond cut in, anger evident in her gaze, "I'm not going anywhere. I have a right to-" But no one got to hear her claim her rights, because Maggie grabbed her arm, dragging her past the crowd and away from Daryl.

"You ain't got a right to _anythin_' when you're not thinkin' clearly!"

"Who says I'm not?" Beth demanded, tripping as she tried to resist.

"It's pretty obvious when you let that redneck trash paw all over you. He hurt you?"

"What? No!"

"Well Imma hurt him…"

"Maggie," she cried desperately, trying to wrench her arm free, "Maggie he _saved_ me!"

"Honey, that don't mean you owe him anything."

"I know that!" They reached the cell where Beth slept (or was supposed to sleep), and her sister all but threw her into a seat on the bed, pacing before her, "But don't talk about him like some kind of a villain, because he has given _everything_ for this family! He's a good man."

"Good men don't go preyin' on young girls and takin' advantage of them when they're all- all- I dunno, traumatized or delicate or- I dunno the word."

"He _didn't_, Maggie! This didn't happen until a long time after all that, and he wasn't pursuin' me or nothing. He was just there for me… when everyone else was walking on eggshells, he just talked to me."

"Yeah, well it seems like talkin' wasn't the only thing on that snake's mind. That backstabbin' little shit… I let him be in my _weddin'_! Hell, if I'd known what he was try'na pull, I mighta fed him to walkers myse-" The sharp crack of skin cut through the cell. Beth's hand tingled as she watched Maggie cradle her cheek.

"How _dare_ you!"

"Beth Anne!" Hershel appeared just in time to see the strike, hobbling forward with purpose, "You do _not_ raise voice or hand to your sister!"

"If you'd heard the horrible things she was sayin'-"

"Enough! Beth… Bethy, sit down. We need to discuss this."

Maggie's glare was fixed fiercely on Beth's form, "I ain't leavin'."

He sighed, "I'm not asking you to; you're a part of this family, and this is a family matter. I need you to make sure Beth stays for this, and I can't chase her." Beth winced at that, hurt he no longer trusted her.

"I wouldn't run from you, daddy… say your piece so we can be done."

"It's not that simple Beth. We need to have a serious talk about this, about what he did to you-"

"Stop, stop sayin' it like that!" She cried back, pulling at her ponytail, "It wasn't like that, was _never_ like that… Daryl's nothin' like _him_."

Maggie snorted, "Could'a fooled me." Beth fixed her with a glare.

"Oh screw you-"

"That's enough! This is what I mean, Beth. You ain't yourself anymore, would never have said something so crass, especially not to your sister. Not before him."

"You mean Daryl taught me to stand up for myself? Cuz there's no shame in that." She countered.

"Did he tell you-" Beth cut Maggie off.

"He doesn't _tell_ me anything. It's not like he came and found me some night; he didn't even want this all to happen. We just talked, cuz I needed someone to talk to, someone who wouldn't treat me like a scared rabbit, and we just… talkin' worked with us. I went to him, not the other way around, and the first time we kissed, he jumped away from me like he been burned. He never hurt me." Hershel stared at his daughter for a long moment, and she spoke more, just to fill the silence, "Please, you have to understand… and Maggie, Maggie how can you be like this after you and Glenn-"

"That's _entirely_ different-" Maggie snapped, prepared to defend herself, but

"Beth… how long?"

"Daddy…"

"How long have you been hiding this, seeing him behind my back?" Beth stared back at him, tears spilling down her cheeks.

"… A few months," she admitted quietly, "the attempted raid on our prison."

"Holy shit." Maggie swore, looking appalled, and she spun around to deliver a solid kick to the doorframe.

Hershel's voice was like ice, "And yet you claim he did not take advantage of you? After something so traumatically similar to-"

"Oh my god, you have _got_ to be kiddin' me. I'm not some porcelain doll, daddy! That attack didn't bother me any more than it would have before the Governor, maybe even less so, because I had Daryl with me!" She did not notice she had said the man's name for the first time in a year, too desperate to defend her lover as tears overcame her. "You have no right to dictate our relationship!"

"_Relationship_?! That-" Maggie started to scream back, but they were interrupted by clatter. Glenn had come to see how they were, but upon hearing the arguing, attempted to excuse himself from the awkwardness. Unfortunately, his gun smacked against one of the bars.

"S-sorry, I didn't mean to interrupt. I was just coming to check on everybody… things over there calmed down."

"It's fine, son," Hershel sighed, "you're a part of this family now; you have an opinion."

Beth sniffled, "Where is he now?"

"You ain't seein' him!" Maggie cut in, fixing her with a glare, but turned to Glenn, wanting to know the answer herself.

Her husband shifted uncomfortably, "Cell Block F with Martinez and his brother… Rick dragged him down there to get away from prying eyes. With any luck, since the both of them are causing trouble, Merle'll be thrown out on his ass." He felt a slightly guilty at the venom in his voice when he heard his sister-in-law's cries. Really, he had respected Daryl, but after all this… it was just too gross.

'Dragged' had been the wrong word, Glenn's disgust coloring his interpretation. Daryl had walked with him wholly willingly, cut to the bone by the glares and judgmental staring of the rest of the prison. Rick looked older, as they marched, and it hurt to look at him and see the expression of utter disappointment on his face. Daryl kept his gaze glued to the ground until they got to the cell block.

Rick threw the door open, "Si'down."

Instead, Daryl leaned up against a table, "This is horse shit."

"Really, cuz there's an entire prison full o' angry folk that'd say otherwise.

He sniffed, "Ain't none of their business." Rick threw his hands in the air in frustration.

"Shit, Daryl… I dunno what to do with ya. I got people demanding you be kicked out; Hershel n' Maggie are madder'n anything I ever seen… You really pissed the shitter this time. Seriously man, what were you _thinkin'_?"

"It's none of _your_ business neither!" He growled back, "She's a goddamn adult, and we didn't do nothin' any other adults wouldn't do."

"Oh what, that how you convinced her? Told her it was the _adult_ thing to do?"

"It ain't like that… Rick, you know I'm not that guy."

"I used to think I knew that, now I don't know what I think." Daryl recoiled as though he had been hit.

"This wasn't me takin' advantage; I didn't force nothin'. I would _never_ hurt her."

"Not meanin' to take advantage and doin' it are two different things, and they ain't mutually exclusive. She was held hostage and _raped_, Daryl."

"You ain't tellin' me anything I don't know!" Daryl snapped, kicking over a chair, "Hell I went an' got her. I _saw_ her, saw what he did to her. You don't just forget something like that, Rick."

"No, you don't, so it goes twice that neither did she, so I don't care how long y'all waited, there was never a time when this was appropriate-"

"So what, she gotta let what happened dictate her whole life? That's why she came to me, y'know, to get away from all y'all who was hurtin' her worse by treatin' her like a goddamn wounded animal. We never did nothin' she didn't decide on herself, nothin' that hurt her."

"There was no way for you to pursue this without hurtin' her, whether you meant to or not, and damnit Daryl, I wanna believe you didn't meant to." Rick looked him in the eye, dead serious. "You need to tell me you understand this to _prove_ you didn't mean to. I don't know that I can help you otherwise."

Daryl's gaze leveled with him, pride welling up, "I didn't hurt that girl, Rick."

"Shit," Rick turned and running his hand over his hair, "well you got plenty of time to think on it. You're stayin' here with Martinez n' your brother, it's the only way anyone's even gonna let you stay here at all. Hopefully it'll be 'nough to keep the Greenes here; won't survive out there on their own, n' that'd be on _your_ head. Don't go breakin' anymore goddamn rules."

With an angry backward glance from the corner of his eye, Rick stormed out without another word.

* * *

R_S: Sad days for our favorite couple =(

Please let me know what you think about everyone's reactions and how you think it would all go down- I genuinely want to know!


	27. Chapter 27

R_S: Ok, there were a lot of feelings about last chapter haha some positive some negative. I really loved hearing everyone's ideas about how the group would react (though some were worded much more politely than others haha). So many of you want them to run away together! If I hadn't already written all but the very end, I'd be inclined to deliver for you. As it is, I try to edit to reflect your feelings, and I'll absolutely try to deal with what you've expressed most recently.

Just to say my piece on it: Part of the dramatic reaction was due to the suddenness of it all. It wasn't something people saw coming, just something that game out of left field to them, and they never expected to see those two express interest in each other. Glenn's not even that mad, just a little weirded out and transferring his feelings about Merle somewhat to Daryl. As for Hershel and Maggie- I honestly do feel they'd react so dramatically. I think maybe not if the story was entirely canon, but this is independent of all the growth thus far in season 4 and with the added earlier issue of the Governor, I think it would put them on edge. They're all they have left in the world, and they already lost Beth once- they would never risk it again. And even though Daryl has a much more positive prison approval rating, he is still an older man with a somewhat violent history. It's less about the Daryl of it all and more about the idea of trying to protect Beth how they see fit. Everyone else I see as just having adjusted to a quasi-normal way of life and thus clinging to their past ideals in a desperate vie for normalcy. People love a scapegoat, and Daryl's dalliances serve as a perfect way for people to feel superior. And a note from personal experiences with friends, family, etc. - the minute a girl dates a guy that others deem as 'significantly' older than her, rumors and poison tongues run amock, even if he was well-liked previously. I've seen a guy totally excommunicated due to it, so even if we may not agree, older individuals more set in their values likely find it unseemly. People are drawn to this sort of conflict psychologically, especially in times of stress, seeking something to demonize for comfort.

I also played up the reactions to be polarized from a lot of what's on here- people trying to set them up and in total support. As I've said, I really don't think people would just accept it, so I'm trying to portray the opposite side of it. Maybe they wouldn't be quite so aggressive, maybe they wouldn't be quite so understanding- neither is totally right, but it's an interesting juxtaposition, I think. And, it'll give the couple a chance to prove themselves and a progression for the other characters to come to possibly accept it. It's interesting who ended up, as I wrote, growing to approve first versus last.

As for Beth not fighting, she _did_ fight, but I would wager that Maggie is much more physically capable than she is. And just because they were separated in that scene doesn't mean she's totally done fighting- remember, Beth (at least in this interpretation) is a thinker rather than a doer. You're going to see a little bit more action from her and how Daryl and she want to handle everyone's reactions, and there's insight into Maggie in this chapter.

* * *

**Bittersweet**

The hallways were dark and shadowed, more menacing somehow now that Beth was sneaking under entirely different circumstances. The door to Cell Block F let out a long, high-pitched creak, causing her to freeze and wince as the noise echoed down the hallway, reverberating off the dirty walls. She hoped no one else heard it.

Martinez was standing before her in a moment, arm blocking the doorway.

"It's late, Beth. You shouldn't be up."

She bit her lip, "I came to ta-"

"I know why you came." He cut her off, voice authoritative but not harsh, eyes pitying. Hell, Beth realized, he thought she was a victim too. "Go back to bed, Beth."

"Aw hell, Martinez," Merle drawled from behind him, sauntering up, "Li'l Bo Peep can come fo' a visit if she likes- just missed me, s'all. Ain't that right?" She gave him a sad smile.

"Yeah… that's it..." Silence stretched out between the trio, Martinez still not backing down. It took a long moment for Beth to work up the courage to break it. "Is Daryl around?"

"Sho' is… ya sure you wanna see him?"

"He's not in much of a talkin' mood." Martinez interrupted, "Maybe come back another time."

Beth fixed him with a defiant look, "Why, so you can send me 'way again? This isn't any of your business-" she gave up before even finished processing the thought, changing tactics and turning to the other man, "Merle, can I come in for a minute?" Merle's eyes flicked back into the darkness, trying to act nonchalant, but the motion there caught her eye. He was looking to his brother to gauge his interest. She ducked quickly beneath Martinez's arm, scurrying past him.

"Hey-"

"Daryl," she paid the other men no mind, "Daryl, there you are. I figured you wouldn't wanna leave here tonight, not with everyone so… anyway, you ok?"

He sighed tiredly, leaning against the wall and looking away from her, "M'fine." A long pause, before he could no longer help himself, "… Are you?" She shrugged, scuffing her feet and tucking a strand of hair behind her ear.

"I'm alright I guess… wonderin' when all this ridiculousness is gonna blow over. I've never seen daddy or Maggie worked up like that, they weren't themselves. They didn't mean none of what they said."

"I think they meant all o' it n' a lot more."

"They'll apologize," Beth steadfastly insisted, but the man just shook his head, "This'll all blow over."

"You lot ain't leavin', are ya?" He tried but failed to hide the trepidation in his voice.

"No, of course we aren't. That was an empty threat and everyone knew it- daddy didn't even talk about it after he said it that one time, think he knew it was just anger as soon as it left his mouth. This is our family, we could never leave. Even if y'all weren't, wouldn't be fair to ask Glenn to."

Daryl shrugged, "No, suppose not."

"Just like what they're askin' us isn't fair."

"I think that's debatable, darlin'. Even after the world changed so much, a lot's still the same."

"Don't say that; we can fix this, change their minds-"

"Can we? Cuz it seems like everyone's pretty much settled on where they stand."

"It'll be hard-"

"It just ain't possible, Beth."

Beth stared at him long and hard, listening for what he was saying beneath those words.

"… You're not gonna fight for me, are you?" She said finally.

"If I do, your daddy might really pack ya up n' move out… y'all wouldn't last a day out there. Ain't lettin' that happen. Don't want it on my head." She rolled her eyes.

"Don't be a martyr, Daryl; it doesn't suit you. N' anyway, like I said- we both know that'll never happen."

He snorted, "Fine, princess, truth is things just got too complicated for me. I'm out." For a moment, she looked taken aback.

"Don't… don't say that. It hurts, but we can fix this-"

"I ain't hurtin', cupcake; didn't care enough to. Sorry you got feelin's n' your ego's a li'l bruised, but I got a pretty good thing goin' here, too good to muck up over some tail. It's over, find someone else to spend your nights with." The tone was practiced disinterest, and Beth was not falling for it. She fixed him with a defiant glare.

"You're a damn shitty liar, Daryl Dixon! Don't tell me this didn't mean anything. I may be young and naïve, but I'm not stupid, and I know what we had meant more than that, that you felt somethin'."

"Get out, kid." His voice was more strained now, "You're gonna get me in trouble, n' you've done enough of that already. Don't come 'round anymore."

"Daryl…"

"Goodbye." He whispered, and it broke her heart. Whether he meant it all or not, Daryl Dixon was a man of honor, and he thought the honorable thing to do was let her go.

So she ran. Beth ran as fast as her legs could take her, past Merle and Martinez. She ran down the winding walls of the prison with no destination in mind. Unbridled tears spilled down her cheeks, obscuring her vision and making her shut her eyes. Her toe caught on uneven flooring, and she spilled to the ground gracelessly, her head landing mostly on her hand. Her hand found the corner of the hall to pull herself as sobs overcame her once more. She curled against the wall, holding herself, and cried.

That was where Maggie found her.

"Goddamn it, I knew I'd find ya here." Beth hiccupped and stared up at her sister through sore eyes, noticing her surroundings for the first time. She had not gotten very far from Block F at all, as though he was a magnet that forcibly kept her near him.

Her sister glared down furiously, expression flickering with pity. Shit, Maggie inwardly curse, her sister was a mess. It was nothing like her little tryst with Jimmy, over before it ever really started. Whatever she felt for Daryl had been real, there was no denying it, and god, Maggie wished her sister could have been happy like that with someone. If Daryl was even ten years younger, she thought, just maybe she might have been able to stomach it. Maybe if his brother was not the devil incarnate. But her mind kept flashing to pictures of the Governor, his hands on her sister's tiny form, and Daryl on the farm, cursing up a storm, stealing horses, and decorated in severed human ears. Beth was bound to get herself hurt with him, it was only a matter of time, just like she had to face that it was only a matter of time until her daddy ended up in a situation that required him to outrun and succumbed to violent death. In the end, Glenn and Beth were all she would have, and she would be damned if she was willing to lose either of them. If it meant sacrificing Daryl from their lives, even after everything, so be it. Her real family, her _blood_ was worth more than that. Sometime people could not see what you did out of love, but you had to keep doing it to keep them safe. So, when Maggie lectured, she kept her voice hard and said things she maybe did not completely mean.

"We told you, you ain't seein' him anymo-"

Beth shook her head and cut her off, "That's not gonna be an issue." Maggie softened almost imperceptibly.

"So he hit it n' quit it, huh? Was willin' to mess around in secret, but once things got hard, he couldn't be bothered with ya. Can't say I'm surprised, just glad this mess's all over. C'mon," she reached out an impatient but gentle hand, "let's get ya back to bed." The blond accepted it, allowing herself to be lifted to her feet, and followed her sister down the hall, arms wrapped around herself and Maggie's over them to keep her warm and safe.

Yeah, it was all over.

* * *

R_S: Ignore that, it's not over! Don't yell at me again about Beth's lack of fight- just because she's regrouping doesn't mean that's the end haha. So the reactions and feelings are going to develop- they had their gut violent negative reactions, and next come the more intellectual ones. Keep in mind that not everyone's opinion has been heard... Daryl _does_ have a best friend... ;)


	28. Chapter 28

R_S: So I'm anticipating tomorrow being crazy, so here's an early update for you guys! I'm loving the reviews and thus rewarding =)

And please don't let the intro fool you- when I said it wasn't over, I meant it!

* * *

**Bittersweet**

When Daryl told Beth goodbye, she had said her piece in an effort to convince him, but that was the end of it. She did not question it, just went along and did what she was told. Despite being strong, the girl was not a fighter, never had been. She did what she always had when faced with a difficult situation: followed her orders. Whether it was fighting walkers, caring for a camp, or having her heart broken, Beth's strength was a quiet one. It did not insist on making calls or questioning. Instead it served as a steady framework on which others could rely. In that case, strength meant holding her head high and continuing on with life, as though the man that had become the center of her universe was not just ripped from her and placed just out of reach, like she was a little girl being punished and he her favorite dolly. There were whispers and glances, but she did not let them affect her, hoped that handling the situation like an adult would make people view her as one. It was ironic, since the continuation of that thought was a childish fantasy that it would change people's view and make Daryl's and her relationship ok again. An oxymoron, mature yet childish… an oxymoron like their relationship, bittersweet. It was assumed that she would be the sweet part of that equation, but the anger that burned low in her gut at all this made her wonder if maybe it was the other way around- Daryl could be awfully sweet when he wanted to be, after all. But she knew being bitter was not an option, not when what the camp needed was that sweet mama-bear she was so used to being that it was impossible to tell where it ended and _she_ started. Fighting with her family was one thing, they had no right to be dictating her life, but she would act normal with the others and be no less than curtly polite should she bump into _him_. Beth considered herself a graceful young woman, so she vowed to handle the situation thusly.

Daryl, on the other hand, considered himself a coward. He had been demoted to Cell Block F, with the security risks and traitors, but that suited him just fine. It was easier to hide away there, to ignore the hurt that the people he gave so much for did not trust him and had turned so fast. It was easier not to see the judgmental glares and hear the scandalized hush of whispers. Even Martinez looked at him like some sort of sex offender, and that asshole had served as the Governor's right-hand man. He had just about jerked the murderous son of a bitch off but judged Daryl on who he chose to wrap up in his arms on cold dark nights. Most of all, it was easier to avoid _her_. It was physically painful to look at her, like something inside his chest actually squeezing his heart. Or it felt as though he pierced himself with an arrow again, this time skewering his heart straight through, but by some sick supernatural torture, it did not kill him but left him in suffering. He was not sure what hurt the most: that she seemed to be doing fine; that some part of him wished for her to suffer as much as he was; that a bigger part never wanted her to suffer like this; that, on some level, he knew she was. No, what probably what hurt the most was that he knew her so well, so intimately, that he could see straight through her yet not even be able to say her name.

And it was not like he had anyone to talk about it with. In the nearly two weeks since he had been labeled as a danger, a predator, and an all-around bad guy, he had not seen his best friend once- the one that was dying. He did not know how to face her, how to tell Carol what he had done. To see her look at him like everyone else was looking at him, he thought it might be more than he could bear. He was afraid to face her. But, he was more afraid to face the guilt if she died alone. He was more afraid to face the already judgmental faces when they learned he had abandoned his dearest, longest friend.

Yes, Daryl Dixon thought himself a coward, and that was why he found himself moving silently through the halls like a shadow, listening for any sign of Hershel in the medical wing. He had no desire to face an angry father right then. He did not have to- the coast was clear, and it took no time to find himself in the doorway to Carol's bed. She looked aware but not well, like a good day during a bad week. But the minute his eyes fell on her, he froze, heart leaping up into his throat. Her dark eyes focused on his form, but she did not look surprised to see him, as though he had not spent a fortnight away, suffering for his sins. She waited patiently, staring at him and offering no customary friendly greeting. It took a moment for Daryl to find his voice, will his legs to move, his knees to bend and carry him to the bedside chair.

"Hey." He said.

"I was wondering when you'd show your face around here."

"Carol…"

"I heard." She said calmly, "Hershel came in here to talk to me about it, thought I might know what to say. I didn't." When he said nothing, she continued on. "What do you say to that? What do you say to the father of a teenage girl your friend was secretly screwing, especially when you didn't know? There are no words."

"I messed up," he stated, "I know that. I knew it when the whole thin' started, figured I shouldn't let it get that far, but I did. I get why you n' everyone else's mad at me."

"I'm not mad, Daryl, I'm just… disappointed in you. You're a good man. I thought you would do better than something like this. Thought _you_ were better than this."

He snorted, "Well, us Dixon men ain't never been so good."

"You were different." Her used of the past-tense did not escape him.

"Not so much, I guess. Found my new cell block ain't so bad, at least Merle hasn't been shootin' his mouth off. Actually, it's the most supportive he ever been. But that's prolly cuz he ain't got no place to talk with what he done, can't go judgin' me on who I…" He trailed off there, uncertain how that sentence ended. It sparked something new in Carol's eyes, and she studied him intensely for it.

"I guess." She answered mildly.

"So, uh," he coughed, "how ya feelin'?" After 5 minutes in the room of his sick, dying friend, Daryl had finally asked how well she was. Her health had been put on the back-burner, all because the whole damn world seemed pre-occupied with who he had been sleeping with. It felt like a disrespect to Carol that their family could be so petty, but a part of him whispered that Beth was _special_, that she would always demand the forefront of his attention. He hoped that wasn't true; it was far too painful.

She shrugged and winced slightly, as though it hurt, "Ok, I guess… been worse. Breathing hurts, and I'm sore down to my bones… but there are worse kinds of pain."

And as she stared into Daryl's eyes, he knew she was talking about him again.

* * *

R_S: So Carol had more of a Rick reaction (again, keep in mind that Season 4 doesn't exist here...).

Let me know what you think of how she handled it!


	29. Chapter 29

R_S: Happy Halloween, everybody! I hope it's a good one- just remember to stay safe!

Thanks for all the great reviews! To **theromaniangirl**: omg you are so sweet! As soon as there's a happy chapter, it's dedicated to you.

Unfortunately, though, it's always darkest before the dawn... but no worries, everyone! There shall be dawn!

* * *

**Bittersweet**

It turned out, that first step was the hardest, like ripping off a band-aid. Once he got past the initial shame from Carol, Daryl started coming around more and more- though still always when he knew Hershel was far, far away. It was harder to face her disappointment than that of relative strangers, but it was easier than watching Beth's life continue on without him and be so much better for it. Instead he worked or hid away in leper colony F or the make-shift hospital room. Carol had become more talkative in his presence, his friend to the end, but there was still an aloofness between them. Her disappointment was difficult to shake, and he wondered if she would ever forgive him. But she was every bit the graceful woman that Beth was, which was maybe why he was so drawn to the both of them, albeit in very different ways. She let him come and make empty small-talk with her or just keep her company. She let him fill her in on the goings on of camp but always capped off his information with a curt "I know." Granted, she was too weak to say much else, but of course she knew; people still came to talk to her, cared about her. It was funny, she was the one who was physically sick, but he was the one people avoided. It did not really matter- he was only talking to her about it to have someone to talk to. He was never the wordiest guy around, but Beth had always been a talker. To go from talking to her every day to talking to no one left a man off-kilter. So, he found himself running ideas by her that did not need to be talked through, just as an excuse for conversation.

"You sure that's a good idea?" Carol asked him mildly, voice bland. He was telling her about how he was considering taking Martinez out on a run with him (he was still allowed free reign to do essentially whatever he pleased from dawn to dusk, so he figured that was something). At least she was still somewhat concerned with his safety, despite her anger. Or maybe she just worried about their family, how they would react or if they would be in danger. Either way, Daryl would take it.

He shrugged, "Ain't no reason not to at this point. He's been-"

He stopped as the one person he wanted to see least (and most) in the world walked into the room. It was foolish of him really; he should have realized that she would be the one person who came to that room the most. He really should have anticipated that confrontation, but he didn't… or maybe some part of him had not wanted to, but he chose not to think about that. All 3 of his precious women gravitated to each other, and he felt trapped between them. Grey eyes zeroed in on him as she the newcomer stopped short, pretty pink lips falling into a little shocked 'o' that brought him back to other times.

"Sorry," Beth's gaze dropped to the floor, flickering to Judith's form cradled in her arms, "I didn't realize someone was already here. We'll come back."

"No, s'fine." Daryl stood, "I was just leavin'."

"I don't wanna be any trouble-"

"Y'ain't," he told her, before muttering to himself, "y'never are." He could not be sure, but he thought Carol overheard. Her eyes shifted to study him.

"Ok… well, um, when ya get a chance, we're gonna need some more meat by the end of the week."

"I'll get on it. This li'l one got 'nough food?" Without thinking, he moved in next to them, running a hand over the baby's head. She gurgled, and Beth laughed, instinctively moving into his warmth and angling her body to his in the way that felt most comfortable, most familiar.

"Yeah, she's happy as can be. I been givin' her Mama's milk less n' less, and she's really takin' to eatin' with us now. Got an appetite like you wouldn't believe!"

"That so, huh? Good- y'need a lot to grow up n' kick plenty o' ass." She looked up at him to respond, but the proximity of her face seemed to alert Daryl to what they were doing. He moved away quickly, grabbing his things.

"Me n' Merle'll go huntin' tomorrow, make sure there's enough for her. Carol." He nodded in way of farewell, but she only watched him go, looking thoughtful. The room was left in silence.

"I'm sorry," Beth said finally, "I shouldn't have interrupted. That was… awkward. But I'm glad you guys are still talkin'."

"Yes, that seems to be a rarity for him nowadays… I take it you aren't?"

The blond blushed guiltily and looked down, "That was the first time in a while."

"Do you want to talk about it?"

"No, no it's fine." At Carol's insistent stare, she shrugged, "I dunno, maybe? It's… I do, but can we please just not? I can't sit through another lecture, I can't..." then she stared the older woman in the eyes, her own twinkling with unshed tears, "not unless it's about some stupid safety procedure I already know and it's in that voice that I don't get to hear anymore."

* * *

R_S: Aw, poor Daryl and poor Beth =(

What does everyone think of Carol and her reactions? What do you think is going to happen with her? Let me know! Updates soon to come =)


	30. Chapter 30

R_S: ... Brace yourselves for a sad chapter. Some of you called it.

* * *

**Bittersweet**

It was an unassuming, pleasant day when Michonne returned to the prison. The weather was temperate, warm with a cool breeze and plenty of clouds to offer shelter from the sun. It was a perfect day to get work done, fingers not too stiff with cold and heat not too oppressive, but little got done with her return. People wanted to know what she had seen, where she had been… what was the world like? But questions were answered brusquely, and only Rick seemed privy to her full explanation.

If she heard what had happened between Daryl and Beth, she made no comment, but he was fairly certain he could feel her eyes trained on him, cold and distrustful. Somehow he did not think Michonne would take kindly to even the slightest chance he had preyed on the girl who had lit up like a child on Christmas the moment she saw her. Beth had a way of worming her way into your heart, making everyone love her despite themselves. If their break-up had caused people to pick sides, it was no surprise to him that everyone chose hers. And quite frankly, Daryl could not blame them.

So, when a celebratory dinner was held to commemorate the prodigal warrior's return, he stayed away. He was one of two, the other absent only because she was too ill. He would end up alone, though.

Carol died later that night, resigned and ready. Only one person stayed to keep her company, as per her request. It was as though some sort of trade had been made, one life for another. It was like losing Lori at the birth of Judith. The prison seemed to have a life and power of its own, a twisted sense of symmetry. It came as a hard blow to the group, to have such a strong and wonderful presence ripped from them so unjustly. But at least her suffering was over, that was what Hershel said, over bible verses as they buried her with the others. Daryl watched from the distance, blue eyes dark and sad. Beth could hear him crying the night it happened, felt sick to her stomach at the sound. She had tried more than once to check on him, but he scurried away. No one else had bothered, and only a handful had tried aside from her. Rick's sad but hopeful words and Glenn's uncertain glances from a distance stood out to her most, but then she hardly had the energy for greater observance.

Once upon a time she could have comforted him.

But that was long ago and far away, and now they were all alone.


	31. Chapter 31

R_S: You guys feel very strongly about the characters' decisions in this story... it's both very flattering and extremely terrifying. Anyway, with all that sadness out of the way (poor Carol... and, y'know, boor Daryl and Beth having to lose her, the only person they could be candid with) the plot will start to move along a bit.

* * *

**Bittersweet**

No one pretended not to know why Daryl was in a right state those days. His best friend was dead, and there was a new guy in camp, Ethan, who had no problems making it clear he thought Beth was the prettiest thing he'd seen since the world went to shit. He was a graduate student in his old life, a few years older than her but not like Daryl, not ancient. Beth did not flirt back or seek him out, but she did nothing to discourage his pursuit. The more attention this boy paid, the less cranky her father and sister seemed to be... and the more she could feel Daryl's eyes watching from the distance, guarding but doing nothing. Once she let him kiss her under the guard tower when he said goodnight, if only to feel something, but he never tasted the same, never right.

That night found them wandering across the prison yard in awkward silence. He kept trying to take her hand, so Beth wrapped her arms around herself and stared up at the moon, feigning ignorance. If Ethan knew it was purposeful, he gave no indication.

"Beautiful night." He commented blandly instead.

Beth nodded, "Yeah, it is."

"Almost as beautiful as you." The line was cheesy, and Beth didn't really want to kiss him, but she allowed it. He pulled away for a fraction of a moment before moving back in to deepen the kiss, but she turned her head away, trying to act casual. It didn't work.

"Beth," he breathed out, sliding a hand across her back to rest low on her hip, "I wanna be with you." He leaned in again, but she leaned away, looking away guiltily. It was not the first time he had started sending signals that he wanted to be more physical with her, and she should have cut them short from the start, nipped it in the bud. It was no surprise; neither had been around someone their own age in a very long time, so circumstance likely found her more appealing to him than she really was. It was more an attraction of convenience than anything else, but such an idea seemed to do little to dissuade his advances. And hell, if not for her experience with Daryl, she might not have had to force herself to try and like him- they would probably have hit it off instantaneously. But no matter how she tried, nothing fostered her interest in the boy, and it was time to set things straight for their friendship. It was hard being told that even being the only option was not good enough, so Beth approached the subject delicately in an effort to spare his feelings.

"Look, Ethan… it's not you, really. I know that's cliché, but you seem like a really nice guy, and… and if things were different, I think I'd really like you."

"But not now; not during a zombie apocalypse." He deadpanned. She bit her lip.

"It's more complicated than that."

He sighed, running a hand over his hair, "I know. I know why you don't kiss me; I've known for a long time. People told me 'bout you and that man Daryl." She looked down.

"He's my past now." Her voice was defeated and final.

"Ok, um, you wanna talk about it?" It was an obviously empty gesture, an offer out of obligation and the desire to win her trust rather than genuine concern. She shook her head and lied blatantly.

"No, I'm over it."

He threw his arms up, "So then what's the issue? You got a daddy complex or somethin'? Cuz if that's what gets you off, I can, I dunno, prolly get some cigarettes or build a makeshift crossbow or some-"

"It's _not_ like that! And don't talk about 'getting me off,' asshole." She hissed with uncharacteristic venom. He put up his hands in mock surrender.

"Didn't mean anything by it, babe, I'm sorry." She seemed to calm at his soothing, ready to move on as though it never happened, until he opened his mouth again. "I dunno what you're bein' so touchy about, though, not like you're a virgin after being with that guy so long… unless he was so old he couldn't-"

"You know, this is _really_ none of your business, so I'd appreciate it if you stopped talkin' 'bout it. What we had was-" She stopped herself, shaking her head and taking a step back, "Y'know, just forget it. I don't need to explain anythin' to you. This conversation is _over_." She stomped away in the opposite direction

Ethan reached a hand after her, "Babe- babe, _wait_, I-"

"I ain't your babe!" She called back, "And don't even _think_ 'bout tryin' to kiss me again."

He was left standing in the yard, low groans from walkers at the gate permeating the air. The boy muttered low expletives to himself, wondering how to fix things. Clearly the ex was a hot-button issue, and he was going to have to approach things more tactfully. It had been a long time since there was any girl to pursue, so he was a little out of practice. It was ironic the way women had been so simple for him back then, and now he worried he had messed up with his only option. He wanted Beth Greene more than he had wanted anything in almost 2 years, and there was only one person who would know all the answers.

* * *

R_S: Damn, Beth grew some cojones. So she may not be able to stand up to her family about Daryl, but she could be curt and candid with Carol and chew out a stranger. And even months later that wound's clearly still fresh.

So... what's Ethan gonna do to get all the answers, ya think?


	32. Chapter 32

R_S: A few of you guessed what dumbassery Ethan was about to pull haha. I think you all are finally gonna get a little happier this chapter =)

* * *

**Bittersweet**

"You shouldn't be here, kid." Merle drawled, sharpening a knife as he reclined lazily in an old chair, watching Ethan's approach. The boy looked nervous, glancing between the Dixon brothers and Martinez as he stepped into Cell Block F.

"Whacha want, boy?" Daryl demanded after extended silence. Ethan licked his lips nervously but tilted his head up with faux confidence.

"I, uh, I wanted to talk to you- about Beth."

Merle snorted, "If y'all are gonna be gossipin' bout yer feelin's like a couple school girls, that's our queue to leave. C'mon Martinez, y'hungry?" If anyone knew why his brother was really giving them some privacy, no one commented on it. Daryl's eyes shone in the moonlight, the cell block unnaturally quiet in the dead of the night.

"I didn't know there was anythin' to talk about."

"I know you guys used to be a thing," the boy stated, cutting straight to the chase, "n' that's why you have to stay here now."

"So whad'ya want, a freakin' medal?" He growled, looking down and away.

"I just wanted to check to make sure that's all over. Like, you had your fun n' now you backed off, right?"

"My _fun_?" His tone of voice was deadly, causing the boy to put his hands up in mock surrender.

"Look, man, I just don't wanna get my ass kicked. She's cute n' all, but she's not worth it. Plus, she's mad at me for somethin' I asked about her 'bout you guys, so I thought maybe you'd know about how to calm her down enou-" Ethan never finished the sentence as Daryl's fist made contact with his face with bruising force. He swung the kid up, managing to lift him off the ground and pin him to the wall despite his form being gangly and a bit taller than his own. He leaned up, eyes flashing and getting in the kid's face.

"You think she ain't worth a little grit, boy? In this goddamn shit world, there ain't _nothin'_ you can get without a fight, so if ya want her ya best be ready for it. What happens if there's a goddamn walker or some crazy ass like the Governor comes after her again, what then? You just gonna leave her? Tell me, damnit!"

"I-I I dunno what you're talking about o-or what this has to do with that Governor guy. I just wanted to talk about how to get with Beth, I'm sorry, I didn't think-"

"No, ya didn't! You ain't had to think bout somethin' hard like that for a moment in your goddamn life, 'cept maybe yer_ dick_! But with a girl like Beth, y'all _need_ to be thinkin' bout those things. You don't go 'round talkin' bout sex with her like that, not when the Governor stole that choice from her, asshole. Even if he didn't, she's a lady- y'all should be treatin' her like one! She's real sweet, sometimes too soft for this world, and she needs protectin', and I don't think you can give 'er that. Even if you could, you ain't willin' to, and she ain't no goddamn consolation prize. All you're thinkin' bout is yourself, n' that'll get ya killed in these times. She understands that, but you don't. You ain't good enough for Beth, never will be n' never was, not even in the ole world. Jesus, you li'l prick, I got have a mind t'-"

"I think that's enough." Rick emerged from the shadows, Merle and Martinez in tow. The two other outcasts eyed Daryl curiously, and he released the boy, dropping him back to the ground.

"Rick-"

"You shouldn't be here, Ethan." He cut him off, staring him down.

"Yeah, but-"

"Go back to bed, Ethan, you got guard duty tomorrow mornin'." The kid opened his mouth to protest, but Rick cut him off, "_Now_."

"Stay the hell away from her." Daryl hissed a final warning in his ear, just a bit too low for the other men to make out. Ethan stumbled out nervously, with a final nervous look back at Daryl. As soon as he was gone Rick strode forward to pull his friend aside. The other men milled around, making a valiant attempt to appear as though they weren't listening.

Daryl muttered a curse beneath his breath and smacked the cell bars, "Look Rick, I shouldn't'a-"

"Forget it; you didn't give him anything he wasn't askin' for."

"… Y'all heard that, huh?"

"Most of it. I'd been on my way here when I bumped into Martinez n' your brother leaving, figured you shouldn't be left alone with the kid… also thought he might need a li'l roughin' up, though."

"Tch, yeah? Prolly fer the best y'stopped me… what?" He looked to find Rick studying him with a sad, defeated expression.

"You really weren't takin' advantage of Beth or playin' with her or any of that, were you? You really cared 'bout her." Daryl only looked away, and Rick sighed. "Shit, lockin' you away in here was a useless witch hunt, wasn't it? Man..." his gaze dropped as he turned to kick at some dirt with his foot, before catching Daryl again from the corner of his gaze, "For what it's worth, I'm real sorry about all this n' for doubtin' you."

"It's fine; somethin' had t' be done when this all came out, I suppose." His friend muttered, though the hurt was still there.

"Look, people have calmed down some; most don't even think about it no more. Maybe you could move back into our area, if you can just not rock the boat n' promise to stay away from Beth, I reckon just about everyone'll forget this ever happened." A long moment of silence stretched out.

"I think I better just stay here, Rick."

"Why's that?"

He turned to meet the cop's gaze, his blue eyes burning, "Cuz I ain't sure I could make a promise like that." Rick's expression melted into one of resigned understanding, and Daryl felt Martinez's identical stare on him. Rick nodded and stood.

"We'll talk later. G'night, gentlemen. Remember not to leave the area outside'a approved hours." No one answered him. Martinez just lingered by the window, alternating between gazing outside and shifting his view to Daryl whenever he thought he was not looking. Daryl dropped into a chair sourly, and Merle pulled up another to join him, regarding him thoughtfully.

"D'you remember when ya asked me why I helped get li'l Bo Peep back, before she was yer girl?" he asked, "I told ya it was t' get outta this goddamn cell, n' that was true some, but I did it fer another reason too. I did it for the same reason I went and tangled wit' the Gov'nor the first time:" he pointed at his brother's expression, "that damn kicked puppy look on yer stupid face when yo girl was missin'."

Daryl narrowed his eyes at in realization, "You knew the whole damn time."

"Oh little brother," Merle chuckled, "y'all wasn't even barely talkin' to her back then. Yer face is an open book, is all. Hell, I knew you was in love before _you_ did." With that, he stood and walked away to get some sleep. Daryl figured that was as close to a word of love or a blessing on his life choices as he'd ever get from his brother.

Anyway, he had more important things to dwell on- like where the hell his brother got the idea he was in love.

* * *

R_S: D'awww Merle's being a good older brother, Beth's suitor might back off, and Rick and Martinez have finally gotten over everthing! What a night for Daryl. I hope you all are finally a little happier haha.


	33. Chapter 33

R_S: Ok guys, a lot of you have been sending me messages asking for me to kill off Maggie, and I'm anticipating more of them after this, so before this chapter starts, I want to say a few words on her behalf. Yes, she is our favorite couples #1 enemy right now, but it kind of makes sense and, I think, fits in with her character. First of all, it's very obvious that she still loves her sister deeply and is conflicted about all of this. She wants Beth to be happy, but it's still her baby sister and almost all she has left, so she's going to be over the top protective. And we know she takes after Hershel, having a tendency to be stubborn and self-righteous; remember when she told Glenn he was letting everyone push him around way back when they first got to the farm? It was basically her saying 'yeah, you don't need them and should be the leader.' She means well, she just oversteps boundaries sometimes, and she's afraid Daryl's going to break Beth's heart, so she wants to end this. Also, there's an element of her losing her sister to him, I think. Regardless, I think anyone would react aggressively to someone they love potentially being taken advantage of. Maggie is NOT a bad guy, she just needs to come to terms with the fact that her sister isn't a little 16-year-old girl anymore.

So guys, PLEASE stop asking me to kill her. It's getting old, and I _promise_ you will like her again... Please don't ask me to kill Hershel either. Trust me, we need them in this story, and his anger is even more understandable as Beth's heartbroken father, who's probably closer in age to Daryl than she is. He was mean about Glen 'the Asian boy,' it stands to reason he'll be meaner about Daryl.

But enough sadness. I think you'll like this one =)

* * *

**Bittersweet**

All the residents of the prison stood clustered in the main area of block C the next day. Rick had unexpectedly called a group meeting that morning, and no one knew what for. They figured it must have been important, since even Martinez, Merle, and Daryl were asked to be there, but otherwise it was a complete mystery to everyone, including the council. The trio's entrance was noted, some people moving away from the m like lepers, but most just observing them curiously, wondering how to balance the good they did for the group with the banishment they suffered. Daryl caught Ethan across the room, deciding whether or not to sit with Beth, and felt his hand clench of its own accord. The boy seemed to be watching her, searching for some indication that she might desire his company, but she paid him no mind, cradling Judith with undivided attention and secretly hoping he would not bother her again. He stood at the wall near but not beside her, eyeing her tiny frame somewhat sourly, until he felt the other man's burning eyes on him. He looked up, and Daryl shook his head almost imperceptibly at him- it was a warning to match the swollen purple that decorated his face. Ethan shrunk back and dropped his gaze.

"Everyone here?" Rick asked, surveying the group.

"Yeah… everything's alright, isn't it?" Glenn shifted nervously, wondering what was going on.

"Nah, everything's fine- been going great, actually." He smiled, gently taking his daughter from Beth's loving arms and sharing a warm smile, "I thought maybe it was time to name Judith some godparents."

Hershel nodded approvingly, "That makes sense, especially in times like these. Glenn and Maggie are the only married couple in camp; do you intend to ask them to take on this responsibility?" The two in question exchanged nervous glances, and Rick chuckled lightly.

"Not exactly, though I'm certain you'd both do a wonderful job. No, I think we all know her Godmother was always meant to be Beth. That is, if you're willin'." He looked to her, and the blond gave him a thousand-watt grin and nodded, shifting her eyes to the pink bundle in his arms. Maggie beamed with pride, affectionately smiling at her baby sister, and pulled Glenn's arm into a tight hug.

"Of course I am. I'd do anythin' for her, Rick."

He stared back at her seriously, "I know you would, you've proven that. And in that same vein, I think it only makes sense that her Godfather be a man who'd go just as far… that's why I want it to be Daryl." The result was instantaneously, movements and murmurs of shock and disapproval rippling through the group.

"Absolutely not!" Hershel blustered, cheeks reddening. Rick countered with his steadfast stare.

"Daryl's done more for my daughter than any other man in this camp, and I ain't about to disrespect that."

"Then Beth ain't her Godmama," Maggie cut in, shaking her head and gripping her husband's hand tightly, "I'm sorry, but we can't allow that."

"That's not up to you." Beth countered. "I love that baby, and this is _my_ decision. I'm doing whatever Rick needs me to."

"But he-"

"Don't I get a say in any o' this?" Daryl demanded evenly.

Rick calmly turned to him, "You gonna turn me down?"

"You know I'd love t' be there for the li'l ass kicker, but if this is gonna cause an issue-"

"If you want the title, it's yours; simple as that. Would you like it?"

"… yeah, I would."

"Then it's decided, and this conversation's over. Anyone has an issue, they can come speak to me _privately_." His tone left no room for argument, and the crowd quickly dispersed to gossip and simmer in this. Maggie fixed both Daryl and him with the coldest glare she could muster before storming out, Glenn trailing to calm her and followed by Hershel, who looked deeply disappointed.

Carl put his arms around Beth, "You're gonna be a great Godmama, Beth."

"Thanks, Carl." The budding teen made his way up the stairs to where Daryl stood and eyed him evenly.

"I'm glad you're gonna be protectin' my sister, you're the best man for the job… but I think maybe you should stay away from Beth, if there's gonna be an issue. Drama puts everyone's lives at danger, n' now Judith's in the middle of it."

"Carl, this ain't where you're supposed to be right now," Rick admonished, ushering him out the door, "now git."

As he passed, he placed a hand on Daryl's shoulder. "I'm puttin' my faith in you… the both of you. Don't make me regret it." Daryl simply nodded, looking him in the eye, and Rick continued on his way, gesturing to Merle and Martinez with his head as though he wanted to discuss something. They hesitated, realizing he simply wanted to give the would-be couple a moment to talk, but followed anyway. Merle cast a final look back at his brother and shook his head.

"Don't mess this up, little brother." He muttered, before disappearing through the door. The room was empty save for Daryl and Beth. He walked slowly down the stairs, unsure of where to start.

"Hey." She said quietly, slowly lifting her head to look at him as he reached the ground

"Hey." His voice was thick and gruff as she remembered it, full of emotion he was not sure how to express. It was warm and familiar, and it felt like a wool blanket. Just the sound of it had her fighting back a smile and the urge to press her lips to his.

"How've you been?" She asked instead.

He shrugged, "Been alright, I guess. You?" She shrugged too, moving to lean against the wall beside him.

"Same… Things still aren't quite the same with my daddy and Maggie, but it's alright. I haven't been sleeping as well, though." She looked up at him, searching his eyes for the memory of the nights they used to spend curled in each other's arms, once he got a bit more used to the idea. Those had been his favorite nights, too.

"Me neither." The air grew between them, caught somewhere between the comfortable quiet they once shared and an awkward silence brought on by the situation.

"So, uh, congrats on bein' a godfather."

"Thanks, you too."

She shook her head, "I dunno, I guess it's nice that I was chosen- I love Judith so much, and it's such an honor, but… I think we both know who really should've gotten this title." She looked up at him with such big, sad eyes that dropped to the floor; it was all he could do to resist pulling her against his chest. Their forms fit together as perfectly, if he remembered correctly, her head nestled into the crook of his neck. Instead he turned to her, and with one bent finger he tilted her chin up to look at him.

"You've given everythin' you can for that baby, e'ryone knows that. Carol would be awful proud of you as a godmama, n' she would most definitely approve. The li'l asskicker needs you to be her role model now- I ain't the best example."

"But ya keep us safe. Even when they aren't bein' fair to you, you give your all for this family." He shrugged, and she moved infinitesimally closer, "Daryl…"

He shook his head but didn't pull away, "We can't do this again, darlin'. Everyone here's made it clear it ain't right…" But even as he spoke, she leaned up to him, and he did not pull away. She tasted sweet and soft as he remembered, maybe even more so, and without hesitation, he drew her to him. She settled into that position he had loved so, like the last piece of his puzzle.

"I've missed you." She breathed into his neck. He did not answer, just rubbed a hand up and down her arm.

"Looked like you was doin' just fine." He mumbled, a bit of petulance sneaking into him. He had no right, he knew; he was the one who had given up on them first. But the memory of Ethan and all the attention he paid her was still heavy in his gut.

She pulled away, shaking her head, "Ethan, he was never anythin'. Nothing's ever happened with us, not really. I was just lonely, wanted some company, and he was there, tryin'ta impress me. But I never asked him to, or _wanted_ him to, really. And he could be kind of a jerk-"

"I know," Daryl nodded, "he ain't gonna bother you no more- I talked to him last night bout bein' disrespectful; warned him off ya." She giggled. He had missed that sound.

"Yeah? Could kinda tell by that shiner. You're always doin' things like that, protecting me. Even when we weren't talking, you were always right there when I didn't feel safe… It was always you, y'know."

He shook his head, "It shouldn't be."

"What do you mean?" She reached a hand out to his face, but he pulled away.

"I told Ethan last night he wasn't near good enough for ya, but I sure as shit ain't either, y'gotta know that." She moved forward, tears welling slightly in her sad stormy eyes.

"No, don't do this- don't pull away again." He caught her wrist in his grip and stared down at her.

"I ain't. Hearin' him talk 'bout you last night like you was his, damn near made me see red. I was just 'bout ready to skin him like a possum. I'm possessive n' jealous n' right childish sometimes, and above all, I'm selfish. I ain't a good enough man to stay away from you like I should. If y'want it, yer _mine_, but that's gonna open up to a whole lotta hurt for ya. You gotta think things over, figure out if this is what ya really want, cuz we both know this ain't gonna be easy." He released her arm and walked away, heading back to his cell block.

"Daryl," she called to him, giving him pause in the doorway, "I'm not the same little girl who lived on that farm; I ain't one for taking the easy way out anymore." He didn't look back at her but smirked as he made his way out.

"Think about it, darlin'." She was left standing there, alone with her thoughts. Subconsciously, she brought her thumb nail up to her lips, as she had seen him do so many times.

"Beth!" Maggie's voice cut through her reverie as she came bursting back in, looking around furiously, muttering to herself "Good, he aint here."

"Did you need something, Maggie?" She asked sweetly, making it clear that she did not care what the other girl thought but wondering if she would ever get back her relationship with her sister.

"Dad's got some stuff he wants you for- c'mon."

With a final glance at the door towards Cell Block F, Beth followed away.

* * *

R_S: So there ya go, some of the happiness and Beth backbone you requested. Good things come to those who wait, mes amis. Leave a review!


	34. Chapter 34

**Bittersweet**

In the week following Rick's announcement, the prison was in something of a social upheaval. Few really cared about the drama between Daryl and Beth specifically; the story itself was getting pretty old. But the disagreement had repercussions that could affect everyone, with the leaders of their little establishment butting heads and pulling in opposite directions. What if the entire infrastructure of leadership fell apart? Some people were starting to question his judgment, discussing the effect this would have on all of them. The Greenes were not good enemies to have, and they wondered why he would risk alienating half the council, since Maggie had replaced Carol and Hershel and Glenn were veteran members. The majority still tended to defer to Rick's leadership, but technically the council had just as much, if not _more_, power. Thus far the dissension had not extended past terseness in discussion, not affecting priorities regarding the prison, but some worried it was only a matter of time. Normally, Beth would not consider her family so petty, but she had never before seen them in such a state. Their fury terrified her.

She was pondering such thoughts over laundry, exhausted and so stressed that she had nearly chewed through her lip. Her hair was in a ridiculous state, she knew, and her face showed her fatigue. At that thought she took a break from her chores, pulling out her hair to comb through with her fingers and tie it back once more. What would Daryl want with her again if she looked like a mess, she thought, and winced. It was thoughts like those that kept her from sleep, swirling with guilt. She worried about the stability of their family, knew that the responsible thing for Daryl and her to do was to put aside their feelings for the good of the majority. But damnit, she was _never_ selfish! The last selfish thing she did was the suicide attempt, and even then, she could not bring herself to go through with it. And Daryl sacrificed even more than she did. They deserved each other, deserved happiness. The others were being selfish by asking them to forfeit that, and they had no right to.

She was ripped from her reverie by a sudden thud, Ethan dropping a box by her. His eye was starting to heal cleanly.

"Supposed to bring this to you," he stated blandly, "you done with that yet?"

"No sorry," she stifled a yawn, "I'm a little out of it; didn't get much sleep."

He snorted, "Yeah, well then you should've told him to get off." Beth's mouth fell open in shock.

"_Excuse_ me?" Ethan's sneer was one of the cruelest expressions she had ever seen.

"You heard me."

"Yeah, I did, n' now I'm givin' you a chance to take it back."

"Why? It's true." He countered, and she glared back hotly.

"It's the furthest thing from it! N' even if it was, it's none of your business, any of y'all's. Keep outta Daryl's and my business."

He laughed derisively, "God, y'know I can't believe I was ever into you- you're a pathetic slut and damn stupid to boot! I mean, _seriously_, that white trash?"

"Don't talk 'bout him that way! How dare you? Y'all don't know us-"

"Oh, I know more than you think," he hissed, stepping closer and capturing her arm in a tight grip, "and you aren't foolin' me anymore. I see through that doe-eyed act, manipulatin' people to get close to whoever's strong enough to protect you-"

"_What-_" she struggled against him, trying to pull her arm from his grip, "I don't know what you're talkin' 'bout- Ethan, you're _hurting_ me." She continued to struggle, but he only leaned in closer.

"You aren't _smart_ enough to pull something like that off, Beth, so go spreadin' your legs all you want; it's not gonna get you anywhere. I heard what happened before the two of you started shackin' up. Tell me, was it worth it to move on to the redneck, or do you wish you still had the Governor to take care of you-"

When he was yanked away from her, Ethan's grip on Beth's arm pulled her forward a few steps so she stumbled. His words struck deep in her chest, causing her to fall to her knees in shock. Her mind could hardly wrap around the assertion or the scene in front of her, Merle pinning the boys arms behind his back while Daryl rounded on him with reckless abandon. Blue eyes were ice cold but alight with fire, the tip of an arrow pressed up tight against the boy's neck.

"What the _hell_ do you think you're doin' boy?" Daryl demanded, voice loud and deadly, "Didn't I make myself clear the other night?" Ethan struggled away, clearly afraid. His ego bruised, he had gone after Beth as the weaker target, knowing better than to go toe-to-toe with the resident hunter, but he had still ended up in over his head, this time against the two most dangerous men on the compound.

"N-nothi- I was just-"

He pressed the arrow harder, "Do I _look_ like I give a shit?" He growled. Merle leaned in.

"He don't look like he gives a shit t'me, boy. I'd be crappin' my pants f'I was you." But Ethan found his spunk.

"Y-you guys can't hurt me; they'll throw you out in a second! A-and anyway, no one would blame me for you guys' u-unwarranted attack-"

Merle snorted, "Really? Cuz that there bruise on Li'l Bo Peep's arm tells a different story, one they'd even believe ole Merle 'bout." Daryl let out a growl and took a fistful of Ethan's shirt, ripping him from Merle's grip and pinning him to the wall by locking his forearm beneath the kid's neck.

"Listen up, boy, cuz I'm only gonna say this one more time… you listenin'? I _can't hear you_," he pressed harder on his neck, "I asked if you was listenin'."

"Y-y-e-e-e-s-" the boy gasped

"Good. Now in case you ain't noticed, I'm kind of an asshole, kid, and _damn_ territorial, so I don't like when people mess with what's mine. That girl, Beth- she's _mine_. Not only were you bein' an abusive little prick, but you were messin' with me while doin' it. So here's what's gonna happen: you gonna stay 'way from her, like I told ya to last time we had one o'these little chats. You don't talk to her. You don't look at her- hell, you don't even _think_ about her, or I'll cut your goddamn balls off n' gut ya, y'hear me ya little shit? Someone tells you to bring her somethin', you get someone else to do it. You wanna _live_, you learn to stay the hell outta our way." He dropped him unceremoniously, "Now run."

Ethan did not need to be told twice, and he took off at a wild sprint that had Merle loudly guffawing. "Look at the li'l pussy go, runs like a girl!" But Daryl wasn't listening, crouching to check on Beth as she composed herself.

"I'm alright," she mumbled, looking over at him, "thanks for that." She was clearly still shaken from the boy's words, but he let it go for the moment.

"Wasn't nothin'." He pulled her up gently, careful to avoid her roughened arm. "Guess I shouldn'a said all that 'fore I knew if you was mine or not."

She smiled softly, "It's fine, I'd already decided," and she pressed her lips to his.

"Aw hell," Merle drawled, "get a goddamn room."

* * *

R_S: tehehe, oh Merle... So there, you guys can be happier now haha. Leave a review, please!


	35. Chapter 35

R_S: Wow, everyone's reviews did a 360 after last chapter haha. Glad to see everyone's happy again. And don't worry- in the coming chapters, you'll be even happier =)

* * *

**Bittersweet**

No one was happy about Daryl and Beth, least of all her family. Hershel's disappointment seemed to age him a decade, while Maggie's anger made her a nightmare to be around. Glenn did not seem mad, just looked a little sickened at the very concept of the older man being intimate with his 'little sister.' Daryl occasionally caught him looking with obvious befuddlement, as though he was trying to puzzle out exactly what was going through the other man's mind and what they saw in each other. Word about Daryl and Ethan's fight had traveled through the camp like wildfire, causing most to avoid the unorthodox couple and whisper about them with judgmental eyes, but mercifully, people seemed to know mostly the whole story. Daryl was still painted as a crazy violent redneck, but Ethan had admittedly poked the bear by arguing with Beth. The boy's villainy was downplayed, though, because hey- boys will be boys, and he was the shunned lover with a broken heart after she left him for the resident bad boy. It was not fair, but it was how the world worked. As long as they were social pariahs, no one was going to be too hard on those who tangled with them. Still, Maggie and Glenn had made it damn clear to Ethan that he was not welcome anywhere near their family- the youngest Greene just did not know it.

Beth hardly spent time with them anymore. She had tried at first, but Maggie's caustic attitude was toxic to be around and left her crying too many nights. Instead they only interacted for chores, because fighting or not, they still worked ideally in tandem the way only sisters could. Those days, however, or the ones where she felt her daddy's disappointed gaze on her for too long were the ones that found her crying to herself at night. She could not sleep around them, and Daryl and she found themselves back at the quiet set of cots away from everyone else, where they could rest tucked around each other and be intimate. She tried to quell her tears before he arrived most nights, but he had never asked her to.

As he dressed, Daryl remembered the night before with a small smile. He had come back from guard duty and a meeting with Rick to find her hiccupping in their bed (and god, it felt strange and amazing knowing it was _theirs _again). She tried to stop, even apologized, and he just kicked off his shoes and wrapped around her. He was no good with words or comfort, but he knew she liked to be held when she was sad or scared, just like she liked to jump when she was happy. So he just lay there silently, allowing her to cling to his stocky frame like a monkey. The effect of his presence was near instantaneous, reducing her to a few sniffles but otherwise contented breathing. She asked about his day, and he filled her in gruffly about the goings on of security detail. As he spoke, she placed feather-light kisses to his neck and arms, looking up at him with big happy eyes. It was nice to know he could do that to her, even if they were still a little puffy and rimmed red from tears. He had not intended to make love to her like that, not when she was so sad. He thought it would offend her, that she would not be in the mood, so he had turned to go to sleep, but she was having none of it. She had needed him, and he could never deny her need. They rarely slept in the nude, even after sex; it was a risk with walkers and enemies all around. But that morning, he found himself distracted by the curve of her naked form beneath the covers.

He laced up his shoes without looking, watching her face instead. His other boot fell over with a soft thunk, causing his resting angel to stir. She turned over, breathing in deeply and reaching for his warmth. Not feeling him, she sat up, looking around as her eyes adjusted to the dark. They sparkled in what little light slipped in through the cracks as the sun slowly rose. He said nothing as her gaze sought him across the tiny room, fixing on his form, but allowed warmth to radiate through his bones, relished her deep-seated need for him. Falling back into the warmth of the bed, though admittedly colder without his presence, she let out a sleepy, contented mewl.

"Why you up so early?"

"Huntin' trip with Merle," he said, walking over to stand by her, "gotta beat the day if we're gonna find anythin'." She turned over, and her tiny hand reached out, wrapping around his last two fingers and pulling him to perch on the bed.

"Stay safe; pack some food for the both of you, just in case." Her eyes drifted shut for a moment and then opened to stare up at him with adoration, eyelashes fluttering. He looked over at her buried in the cheap, scratchy sheets that came on prison cots. The color of her skin against their off-white grey was just about the most beautiful combination he could fathom.

"I reckon I'd take you away from all this, make an honest woman of ya if I could."

She shook her head, "You don't have to make empty promises just to comfort me, Daryl."

"I ain't." He cupped her cheek, "I ain't sayin' I'd run away with you tomorrow, but I never been so sure of anythin' as you bein' my future."

Before she could answer or even finish processing his confession, he stood and walked out, leaving her alone.

* * *

R_S: Ooh, what's Daryl mean? And what's Beth gonna do with this information? I think a lot of people are gonna like the next chapter a lot... ;)


	36. Chapter 36

R_S: So I think it's about that time that everyone starts to like Maggie again and stops plotting her demise... Jesus I hope y'all forgive her.

* * *

**Bittersweet**

Beth wandered through the halls like a ghost, replaying that morning in her head over and over again. She could not be certain, but it felt like Daryl was avoiding her, which made no sense. He was being nothing but sweet, then he off and leaves. She thought she knew what he meant, thought she understood what he was trying to tell her, but she could not be sure. She wanted it to be true, but she was not willing to get her hopes up, could not let herself believe it without confirmation. And that lack of confirmation gave way to doubt; was he talking about how pointless it all was? Maybe they were fighting for nothing. Unfortunately, there was no one who could clarify the ways of men for her anymore.

"Goddamnit, Beth!" Maggie groaned. They had just washed the sheets for the whole cell block and were in the process of putting them back on the cots. Distracted by her reverie, the blond had knocked a whole pile of clean ones to the dusty ground.

"Shoot, I'm sorry." She dropped to her knees and tried to carefully pick them up, brushing off dirt, while Maggie rolled her eyes.

"Honestly, I dunno where your head's been at these days. If I didn't know any better, I'd say bunkin' with that low-down redneck was killin' brain cells." She spat, arms crossed. Her sister threw the sheets back to the ground and stood.

"Enough!" Beth screamed, placing her tiny palms on Maggie's chest to deliver a solid push. "Just _enough_ goddamnit, you do _not_ get to talk about him that way!"

Her sister snorted, "Oh yeah, throw a tantrum- real mature. Great way to show me you're mature 'nough to be datin' an old man. If this is how ya act round him, I can't help but wonder what he's into-"

"Oh you are so full of _shit_! You'd act just the same if someone said something like that about Glenn, prolly worse! Do NOT treat me like a child; I'm tired of you all makin' me feel stupid and useless and pathetic. It's not fair to me, and it's not fair to Daryl, and I just can't take this anymore! He and Judith are the only ones I even like being around these days." Tears began to well in her big grey eyes, and Maggie could not help but do the same. It was always hard not to cry when she saw her sister doing it and even harder when she knew she had caused it. She reached out a hand.

"Beth-"

"You don't like him, I get that, but this isn't your decision, it's _mine_, and I _need_ my sister back! You can't be making snarky comments like that, not today of all days, ok? I don't know what to do, and I don't have anyone to talk to, and I just- I'm supposed to be able to go to you for this, when I need help, and I can't, and that kills me. And today, after this morning… damnit, I need you right now, Maggie! Please, please just be my sister again- just for a little while." The blond sunk down onto a bed and cried into her hands, and Maggie's expression softened. She sighed and sat down next to her sister, wrapping an arm around her smaller frame as her own eyes watered.

"I'll always be your sister, Beth, and I'll always love you n' be there for you... nothin's gonna change that. And it ain't that I don't like Daryl- well, I mean, I was never all that fond of him, but at least I used to _respect_ him. But after I heard he was takin' advantage of you-"

"But he _wasn't_ Maggie, he's never been anything but amazing to me, why can't you see that?" Her sister opened her mouth to argue, but she put up a hand, "No, nevermind- can we just, just agree to disagree right now? Cuz I just really need to talk about this morning. Can you please just tell me what it means when a guy says something to ya? Not Daryl, not if you're gonna get all worked up about it, just… I just don't know what he means."

"… What'd he say, darlin'?"

"That if he could, he'd make me an honest woman… that I'm his future." Maggie stared at her, a look of utter disbelief etched on her face, making Beth feel itchy. "Well?"

"I- wha- um, I'm sorry, what?" She sputtered, scotching closer to her, "You're gonna have to give me more to go on than that- tell me _exactly_ what happened, every detail you can remember." There was something excited in her tone that Beth had not heard for so long. Maggie was so shocked that Daryl Dixon could say something like that, something so romantic, that her disgust had been overridden by sisterly excitement. It was infectious, and Beth wasted no time in pouring out every detail- waking up to his watching her, him getting up for the day, the exact conversation, virtually word for word. After she was finished and out of breath, Maggie studied her.

"So?" She asked. Her sister stared a bit longer.

"He ain't good enough for you, y'know. And he's far too old." Grey eyes dropped to ringing hands.

"You n' him say the same damn things a lot, y'know. He says that all the time, thinks he's not a good man. But he is, Maggie. Most men aren't as good as him, I think."

"He's said all that, huh?"

Beth nodded, "Yeah, even said it to Ethan too. He was gettin' lippy with me right before the whole godparents thing, Daryl set him straight. Then after Rick chose us, he started pickin' another fight, and I thought for sure he was gonna end him right there."

"I thought y'all weren't together then." Maggie commented, eyes narrowing slightly- the one thing they had agreed on through the entire debacle and even when they were fighting was _no more lying_.

"We weren't; Daryl said he just didn't like him disrespectin' me."

The older sister blew out some air slowly, "Well… for all his faults, I always did respect the guy. Chivalry ain't dead with that one."

"No, he's always doing chivalrous stuff for me and making sure I'm safe. It's nice."

"Damn, never thought I'd be describin' a Dixon as sweet or romantic, but damn if he don't sound it… He ever told you he loved you?"

"No." Beth said simply with a shrug, and a look of understanding passed over her sister's face. She knew what Daryl meant.

Maggie snorted, "Leave it to Daryl Dixon to talk 'bout marriage before he can bring up love… I don't know if I'll ever be totally ok with this, y'know." The blond went back to playing with her hands.

"I know; we both know that people aren't ever gonna be ok with us. I think it just about broke Daryl's heart when he thought Carol was gonna die upset with him, to say goodbye without fixing things."

"She didn't?"

"No, he was the last person she talked to… he stayed with her when she died, said he didn't want her to be alone in those last hours. He won't tell me what she said to him, but part of it was definitely forgiveness. I didn't wanna push, though- he doesn't like to be bothered when he cries- er, is upset." Beth bit her tongue; it had a habit of running away with her around her sister.

"Aw, damn it all to hell!" Maggie threw a pillow across the room.

"What?"

"Nothin', just… I gotta- I gotta think for a while Beth. You ok now?"

She smiled and nodded, "Yeah, gettin' all that off my chest really helped… thanks, Maggie, for listening and just… just bein' there. Are we ok? You and me, I mean. And I guess me and Daryl."

"Of course, honey, we've been ok for a long time. Just cuz I'm cranky n' not willing to apologize doesn't mean I'm not over it, just ask Glenn." They shared a giggle. "And as for what it means… he cares 'bout you Beth, a lot. More'n I could've ever thought. He's tryin' to tell ya somethin' important, somethin' you gotta figure out for yourself." Beth shook her head in confusion as her sister stood.

"What does that mean?" She looked up at her.

Maggie just laughed and walked out of the cell.

* * *

R_S: So, Maggie and Beth FINALLY made up... can I tell you how excruciating it was to have you all hate her when I knew redemption was right around the corner? Tell me what you guys think she's gonna do =)


	37. Chapter 37

**Bittersweet**

That night at dinner, Maggie spoke in a civil manner to Daryl for the first time since she found out about Beth and him.

"Daryl, would you like more water?" She held up the pitcher, offering to refill his now empty cup. People in their immediate vicinity shushed slightly, watching the interaction with curiosity. He stared back at her unsurely

"Um, I'm alright thanks." She simply nodded and placed it down, ignoring her father's betrayed expression. Glenn leaned over to whisper to her, confused.

"Hun, I thought-"

She hushed her husband, "It's alright."

"It still skeeves me out-"

"Shhh," she said again, "I'll explain later." She caught her sister's eye, taking in her breathless smile, and she shot her a wink with a tiny smile of her own.

* * *

R_S: I wanna give a shout-out to **frankielouwho**, who marathon-read my story and left so many awesome reviews after I (lazily) just left one on **Waste of an Arrow**- which is an AMAZING fic that you should all check out. Thanks for the amazing support, and for the support from everyone else who's been reviewing every time.

Side note - I may not be able to update this weekend, things are a little cray-cray. Sorry in advance!


	38. Chapter 38

R_S: I know guys- I'm the worst. It's been 3 whole days since the last chapter, the longest I've ever taken.

... the fact that this is such a rarity's gotta count for something, right? No? Ok... well, hopefully this'll put me back in your good graces a bit. Enjoy!

* * *

**Bittersweet**

Maggie was smiling softly, cleaning up after dinner. She surprised herself by how good she felt about what she had done, felt a tiny ember of contentedness for the first time in months. Despite having no idea what was going on, Glenn sensed the change in his wife's disposition and let her be. Whatever it was that was ending their (admittedly over-the-top, he had to acknowledge at this point) blood feud, he was certain she had a good reason.

He pressed a kiss to her temple, "I'll see you tonight after guard duty, baby." She placed a reciprocal peck on his lips.

"Stay safe, Glenn." He shot her a smile and slipped out quietly, unaware that another had been waiting for him to do so. Daryl slipped in with all the silent grace of a jungle cat, and had Maggie not been facing his direction, he would have caught her entirely unaware. She resisted the urge to roll her eyes, wondering what her sister saw in such a weird, somewhat creepy man… a man who once wore ears as jewelry.

She would support her sister's decision, but she would not like it. Even with the added romantic angle, it was hard to tell what the girl could possibly see in Daryl Dixon. Handsome? Maybe somewhat, but his mannerisms overrode any possible attraction - he was hardly a gentleman. Intelligent? Well, not in the _traditional_ sense of the word… but sure, he was damn smart about some things. Funny? His sense of humor was crass and brazen, an acquired taste. He was so far the opposite of Beth, of everything she ever was or stood for, that maybe that was what she saw in him, Maggie thought. Perhaps Beth, in the wake of the world doing a 360, had decided that her perception of the ideal man should do the same? Whatever it was, it was strange, but it was something they were obviously serious about, and that demanded respect.

Daryl paused at the foot of the stairs, watching her uncertainly, and this time Maggie _did_ roll her eyes. "Ya gonna stand there starin' all night? Say your piece if you got somethin' to say. Or, better yet, help instead of just standin' there like a statue." She watched his lips pucker in annoyance and smirked. If he was going to mess around with her baby sister, she might as well get some mockery out of it – it was her god given right.

He adjusted the strap of his bow, having just returned from surveying the perimeter, "I thought you was done bein' nasty to me."

"I'm movin' on and acceptin' the fact you make my sister happy," Maggie clarified, not looking at him, "Don't push your luck. I still don't love all this, for reasons I'm sure you understand."

"Yeah, I do." He acquiesced, "Well, either way, I 'ppreciate the sentiment." She shot him a warning glare at that.

"I didn't do it for you."

He met her stare evenly, "I know." She searched his eyes for something, anything to distrust, but found nothing more than what she had always seen and sighed.

"She's my baby sister, Daryl. Things ain't ever gonna be simple for us. I just… I'm tryin' to understand. That's the best I can give you for now, maybe ever." He said nothing but stared back, and she continued. "But, I reckon I can at least try to make things easier."

"The stress is makin' her sick, it ain't right." He said flatly, reminding Maggie again that he was not emotionally open but he still cared. It was becoming more and more obvious how much her sister had become the sun his life revolved around, and it offered her a modicum of comfort.

"I know. For what it's worth, I'm sorry for havin' a part of that, it kills me. You've done a real good job of takin' care of her, n'… she told me what ya said, this morning."

He licked his lips and shifted uncertainly, trying to hide his nervousness behind a façade of disinterest, "She did?"

"Yeah. It's kinda why we made up- can't really hate you for fallin' in love with her… hell, it's kinda been obvious for a while."

"No it ain't." He shot back immediately, and Maggie laughed bitterly.

"Daryl, the only one who can't tell you love Beth is Beth."

"Yeah? Tell that to the angry mob. M'surprised they ain't come at me with pitchforks yet."

She rolled her eyes again. "Wouldn't blame them if they did; you're not good enough for her."

"I know that." It was a simple statement that caused her to stop and look at him seriously.

"I know you do. It's why I'm tryin'… but everyone's so upset because we can tell, how y'all feel I mean. It's scary when your morals, the one thing you were tryin' so hard to cling to, gets turned upside-down. This kinda love was complicated back then, n' no one knows how it stands nowadays." A long silence spread between them as they observed each other, reaching a silent understanding. Finally, he ran a hand over his hair and sighed tiredly.

"Shit, how the hell do I get Bet-"

Hershel cleared his throat, glaring from the top of the stairs.

"I, uh, I'll take care of it first thing tomorrow, Maggie," Daryl covered poorly, "thanks fer the head's up." He could not bring himself to lift his gaze and meet the father's eye as he brushed past and out the door. The older man ambled in seriously, making his way toward his daughter. Fury curled white-hot in his belly as he watched her, a sense of betrayal looming. She nodded as he dropped into a seat, but otherwise nothing was said in greeting. She knew this was coming, had anticipated it, but still she struggled to withhold a grimace. Winning her daddy over was not going to be easy.

"What was that?" Hershel demanded, his voice deadly calm and detached.

"What was what, Daddy?" Asked Maggie in a tone of faux innocence, not lifting her gaze from what she was working on, and it was obvious where Beth had learned her peaches n' cream act from, though the blond had perfected it better.

"Don't give me none of that lip, you know what I mean- first that spectacle with the redneck at dinner, n' now I catch you talkin' to him… He's bad news, and givin' him anything he wants is just gonna encourage him to try n' get away with whatever he can."

"I was just tryin' to make amends daddy… we used to respect Daryl, even if you didn't always like him much. Now we can't even be bothered to use his name most times, and it's just… this life's too short."

"No," the man shook his head, "no, I won't stand for it."

"It's outta our hands at this point. Can't ya see that?"

He waved one arm across, "No, I don't like it, an-"

"I don't like it either, dad! But what can we do? She hardly talks to us anymore, and I miss my sister. I'm _tired_. Ain't you tired, daddy?" He sighed deeply,

"This is about Beth's well-being, Maggie-"

"I know, n' that's why we gotta do this. The way she walks around here nowadays, like a ghost… it ain't healthy, daddy. You can try to pretend you don't notice, but I know you do."

"That's why I'm tryin' to get her away from that heathen, back safe with us."

"'Heathen?' When did you even start talkin' like that; ya never used to. She _is_ with us, daddy, why can't ya see that? And Daryl… he wants to do right by Beth, even if he isn't good enough for her. He _knows_ how lucky he is to have her, wants to keep her safe and happy. That's what I want for her too, so it only makes sense to help him. He _loves_ her daddy, I can see it and I know you can see it too. I know it's scary, but you just gotta accept that Beth ain't a little girl anymore… we gotta let her do her own thing, even if it isn't our favorite decision. I know you know that, daddy... so why can't ya just accept it so we can all move on? She's not leaving you, neither of us are." She stared at him pleadingly, but he just stared back with stoically.

"I thought you were on my side."

"There shouldn't be sides. Took me a while to adjust to the idea of all this, but I see that now."

He snorted and spat bitterly, "Well, perhaps some of us need more time to adjust." But Maggie shook her head.

"It's been a long-time comin', I think we kinda always knew that on some level. He's always treated Beth more like a mother n' less like a child. And Beth, she doesn't come t'me or you or Glenn when she's feelin' threatened; she always went straight to where Daryl was, whatever _he_ was protectin'. That's how she felt safest, why she was so affected when he left with Merle before they were anything. It has _always_ been this way, since the moment Beth was forced to grow up." Her explanations fell upon Hershel's deaf ears.

"There's a difference between a protector and a lover- those lines don't need to be blurred. She's not grown-up enough to realize that, not old enough."

"She is, n' we both know it. I don't' like it either, but what else is there? Believe me, I was rootin' for Ethan as much as the next person 'fore he went n' got douche-y with her."

"What are you talkin' about?"

"Lizzie and Mikah saw them arguin' after Rick named Daryl n' Beth godparents. Ethan was raggin' on her real hard, callin' her names n' accusin' her of things that'd make a sailor blush. Mikah ran to get me to put a stop to it, but before I got there, Lizzie says Daryl was there givin' him a real rough time- with _Merle_ of all people. I didn't let them know I heard 'bout all that, but I did. 'Just about forgave 'em right then n' there, if not for a bit of stubborn pride holdin' out. He really cares 'bout her, daddy; he'll protect her. He loves her so damn much even Merle pulled his head outta his ass 'bout it. And even if he ain't good enough, that's gotta count for somethin' in this life."

Hershel stood and hobbled to the door, "Not enough."

Maggie sighed as she watched him walk away. He knew he was losing; she saw it in his eyes. He was just scared, scared of losing his baby girl and scared of what might happened to her if someone else took responsibility for her well-being. She only hoped he would come around soon, so all this suffering could end.


	39. Chapter 39

R_S: Ok, I know- I'm the worst. Things just got completely crazy for me, and stories got put completely on the back-burner. I'm super sorry guys! This is a longish update to make up for it, though! I love you all!

* * *

**Bittersweet**

"Mmm later baby," Maggie pulled away from where her husband was placing open mouth kisses on the side of her neck, "I gotta finish this, n' you should be cleanin' those guns."

"But babe," Glenn whined, "it can wait." She giggled.

"Later, I promise."

He huffed, "Fine." And sat himself down to work in his usual meticulous way. The couple sat mostly in silence, enjoying the privacy of each other's company. It was often hard to get time to themselves, but there had been more of it lately. Hershel was still upset with Maggie, so people tended to keep their distance rather than get in the middle of everything. Glenn had gone the route of keeping to himself and not getting involved, just letting her decide, so he was considered on her side without having actually done anything. Knowing everything she told him about the situation had only served to make him feel even more conflicted about everything, and he wondered if the group had felt this stressed when it was _their _relationship just starting to bloom. Still, the solitude was greatly appreciated, despite the conflict it stemmed from.

Of course, that was too good to last. A little blond woman walked in, arms laden with child as usual. She looked tired and sad, as she chewed her lip thoughtfully.

"What's wrong?" Her sister asked.

"He's still being weird," Beth dove right in, dropping onto the bed with a pout. "He keeps sayin' things like he did the other morning."

"What kinds of things?"

She launched into a fairly detailed description of his words and actions, and Glenn sighed. This was probably part of his job description as brother-in-law, listening to her go his wife with her issues. He figured there was no point in fighting it, whatever he did not hear now Maggie would fill him in on later. She seemed fairly focused on the stories, nodding appropriately, but he also knew she was getting frustrated by what she viewed as a simple problem. She would tell him so later, as she often did.

Maggie sighed and sat down, "Look, Beth… Daryl was never good with words. He's never gonna write you a poem or come out n' tell you what he means, he's a doer. But he also ain't much of a romantic, so he ain't gonna go bringin' ya flowers or any of that either. He's gonna try to tell you things in different ways, subtle ways where you gotta decode his meaning. He says one thing, but he means another."

"Maggie," Beth rolled her eyes, exasperated, "I've been datin' the man for a long time; I think I know that. Yeah, everything Daryl does _means_ something, and he never comes out n' says anything. I can tell from the way he's walkin' at a distance exactly what mood he's in, and I know exactly what words he uses to tell someone to leave him alone depending on whether or not he secretly wants them to stay and be with him. I know he wants me to say somethin', cuz he always gets real quiet after and if I don't say anything, he just leaves. I _know_ him, and I'm tellin' you, he's never been like this before. I'm getting worried."

"Honey, look at the things he's tellin' ya."

"I _am_."

"Well, look a bit deeper," Glenn advised from where he sat listening and polishing his gun, doing a commendable job of not sounding annoyed at the girl talk, "because you're still missing something."

"I can't figure out what… usually he's so much easier to read than this, and it's makin' things so hard. You three are the only people I can talk to anymore, really, except for Rick. And it's not like Imma go to _him_ for stuff like this. With Daryl bein' all weird, it's making me worried. I keep thinking that maybe he wants to break-up with me but doesn't know how to do it without hurting the group dynamic, or he feels silly after everything we had to go through to just call it quits… I dunno, though, cuz why would he have done all that just to break up? D'ya think maybe something's wrong about Merle? God I hope not, I know how hard that can be on him…"

That roused a bit of guilt in Glenn. He knew how hard it could be when your lover pulled away from you- it damn near killed him when Maggie did after the Governor. It was not a very different situation from this- she had dropped hints she wanted to talk about something, he had not understood. Beth and he were more emotionally open than Daryl and Maggie, so they sometimes expected people to come out and say what they needed, relied on that to understand. Beth could be a great deal more intuitive than he was, but it was still an issue in times like now. No man had probably ever felt about her the way Daryl supposedly did; that would be hard for her to wrap her mind around. Glenn wondered if Daryl knew how confused she was.

"I'm gonna regret this…" he muttered to himself, standing. Maggie looked up at him, stopping mid-sentence.

"Glenn," she asked, "where ya goin'?" He slung his rifle over his shoulder and answered on the way out.

"I just gotta take care of a couple things, I'll be back soon. And Beth," he paused, "don't worry, I'm sure things are gonna be fine."

She gave him a sad but genuine smile, "Thanks, Glenn." He nodded and continued on his search. If I were a grumpy, lovesick redneck, he wondered, where would I be? Even after living with him for so much time, tracking Daryl still posed quite the challenge, but he managed to locate him tucked away in the library, of all places. A book, a knife, and a half-whittled piece of wood lay in front of him, but he was not using any of it, just sitting and looking out thoughtfully.

"Don't hurt yourself." Glenn joked from behind him. He did not jump, probably heard him the second he walked in.

"Whacha talkin' bout?" He growled, eyeing him curiously. Despite being on their side, so to speak, it was the first time Glenn had willfully interacted with him beyond necessity since he found out about their relationship months ago.

The younger boy shrugged, "I'm just worried that if you keep thinking that hard, your head might explode, and I don't wanna clean up the blood." He dropped into a chair beside him.

"Did I say you could join me?"

"It's a free country."

"Not anymore it ain't."

"If you don't like it, you can move." The older man shot him a glare but said nothing, instead picking up the wood and knife and working on it, and for a long time, Glenn did nothing but watch him. Daryl let the wood shavings fall to the table carelessly, but they would not stay there; he knew his girlfriend liked for the areas to remain neat. If he truly did not care, he would have let them fall to the floor. Glenn watched, realizing how stubborn someone like Daryl could be, decided to cut straight to the chase.

"Beth's worried about you, y'know." He said. The other man's hands faltered for a minute but continued, so he did as well. "She thinks you're acting 'weird' because you're having an issue with Merle. That or you want to leave her n' just don't know how to go about it." Anyone who knew Daryl less might have missed the look of alarm.

"Where'd she get an idea like that?"

"Look, you don't want to put yourself out there- I get that. I freaked out when Maggie told me she loved me, you don't want Beth to do the same, so-"

"I ain't freaking out about nothin', so you can just shut-up." Daryl snapped, "Why you nosin' round my business anyhow?"

"Because your woman is constantly distracting my woman, coming to our bedroom and trying to figure out what to do so you're not mad at her anymore, and I'm getting damn sick of it." He snapped right back with uncharacteristic gumption.

"… Well I ain't mad at her, can't figure where she got that idea."

"Because she's never had anyone say they loved her, like it clearly seems you've never said it. You're dropping a lot of hints, but if she has no experience in that, she's not gonna catch on. You just have to say it eventually, or you're gonna drive her crazy. All I ask is that you do it soon, because the one good thing about everyone being pissed at us for taking your side is the alone time, and I want that back."

On that final note, he stood and walked out.

* * *

R_S: Yeah, Glenn, you show you've got balls! So I hope this chappy was worth the wait... please review!


	40. Chapter 40

**Bittersweet**

Beth almost did not sleep in their room that night; facing Daryl was becoming too difficult. But Maggie had unceremoniously told her she was being ridiculous and kicked her out, planning to enjoy a night in with her husband. So instead, the young blond made her way back to their room, preparing to go to bed early and hopefully be asleep by the time he got in. Interacting with him was simply getting to be too difficult. It was a good plan, or it would have been had he not walked into the room only moments after her. She had not yet gotten a chance to even kick off her boots, let alone anything else. Daryl just pressed a soft kiss to her hair and sat down on the edge of the bed, watching her ready for rest silently. It was a little bit awkward, the way he studied her like a painting he just could not quite get, but despite the tension between them, having his gaze on her never ceased to make Beth feel safe and at ease.

"We gotta talk." He said suddenly, and she winced.

"Yeah?"

"Look, Beth, I ain't been totally honest with you."

Her heart felt like ice, making her body freeze as she feigned disinterest, "Oh?"

"There's somethin' I gotta talk to you 'bout, n' just… just hear me out."

"Look, if you aren't happy with me anymore, please just come out n' say it," her voice shook with unshed tears as the words spilled out breathlessly, "I hear it's better to just, I dunno, get it over with- like rippin' off a band aid."

He looked affronted, "What? Hell no girl, it ain't nothin' like that! The idea of leavin' you never entered my head for a second, best believe that more than anythin' in the world baby girl. I just… I gotta tell you somethin'." As he settled she collected herself and nodded, taking a deep breath to quell her tears.

"Um, ok… what is it?" A long moment of silence stretched. He sighed, running a hand over his head.

"Shit, Imma just gut to the chase. Merle n' Carol said I was in love with you, thought so for a long time… and your sister n' Glenn, and Rick, they do too."

Beth licked her lips, fighting back an eager, excited smile, "A-and what do you think?" Daryl stared into her eyes very seriously.

"I love you."

She sort of thought he did. Glenn and Maggie had certainly been heavy-handed in implying it. She was afraid he was leaving her, unwilling to get her hopes up about such a guarded man and his feelings, but deep down, some part of her knew. Hearing him say it, though, was an entirely new experience. She felt light and heavy at the same time, and her face split into a giant grin. And even though she knew the answer, she had to ask him.

"So you aren't mad at me?"

He snorted, a smirk playing on his lips, "No, I ain't been mad at ya." She gave him a short but deep kiss and pulled away gently, smiling up at him. Relieved silence washed over her, until she realized he was still watching her. He was waiting, anticipating. Words caught in her throat, the goofy smile falling from her face. Her boyfriend had begun to shift impatiently, though he tried to hide it, and Beth knew this was not going to end well.

"You're just about the most important part of my life, now, and- and you're real special to me. I care a lot about you."

His face tensed into a hard mask, "I'm 'special' and ya 'care a lot about me?' Seriously."

"Daryl, let me explain-" But he was already up and moving away from her, toward the door.

"Nothin' to explain, Beth."

"I have a lot of love _for_ you, but I just don't know if I'm _in_ love-" He cut her off with a bitter laugh. "Daryl, please, you gotta understand- I've never been in love before. If I say it, I gotta know I mean it, and I'm not disrespectin-"

"I get it. S'fine."

"Daryl baby, _please_, I-"

All he said was "Whatever." And he was out the door.

Beth was left sitting there numb, tears on her cheeks with no one to go to.

* * *

R_S: So our stories wrapping up, y'all! I have 2 more scenes fully written, and there's just 2-3 I have to finish, then their epic love saga (if we can call it that, really) is complete! Of course, there had to be just one more bump on the way ;)

If you have any predictions (or requests, why not- I've still got the end to work with), feel free to leave them in a comment. I have enjoyed them immensely, especially when you all thought they were gonna get married haha. You were so excited, I almost felt bad. It's really touching how many of you care what happens to them.

So please, lemme know what you think/want!


	41. Chapter 41

R_S: So a LOT of you have been waiting for this scene... I hope I did it justice!

**Bittersweet**

Well, Daryl thought to himself bitterly, that had gone to shit. There was not another time in his life when he had felt so utterly humiliated and _rejected_. He kicked a cell door as he passed, storming through the halls. Seriously, Beth didn't know if she loved him? What the hell was there to know? He had known for a while now, had an inkling for even longer. He had put himself out there, expressed something that was really difficult for him, and Beth was not sure, could not commit to anything like that yet. Was she serious, after everything they went through – were _still_ going through – to be together? He kicked something else, not caring to pay attention to what, and muttered a few choice expletives. If he passed anyone, god help them.

He wanted to be alone, away from everyone else in the prison and their judging eyes. He considered seeking out Merle but thought better of it. His brother was getting better, but he was still the first to call Daryl out on being a pussy. There would be no valuable advice, only mocking. He had no patience for that right now. Outside was out of the question; that prick Ethan was on guard duty, and he did not have the stomach for it, not when he knew the kid probably spent nights alone fantasizing about the woman he loved- not that his feelings seemed to matter any to her. Even though a logical part of his brain whispered that she had not said she_ didn't_ love him, just that she was not sure, his heart physically hurt. Her reticence made sense, but it felt like rejection, no matter how pretty you dressed it up. He made his way to the library, looking forward to the quiet solitude. He had not thought to bring his whittling from their room, but maybe he would crack a book open for once. Or brood. Brooding worked, probably a lot better.

A dull light burned in the room somewhere, giving it a dark ambience. He breathed in the scent of books and dust and wood. It smelled miserable, he thought, like him. Beth would not have agreed, he realized; she loved the smell of books. Daryl cursed lowly to himself and kicked over a chair. Maybe coming there had been a bad idea, because it reminded him of her. Then again, nearly everything reminded him of her- including the voice that cleared its throat in response to his violent outburst.

"What're you doing here, son?" Though his words were amiable, Hershel's tone was anything but. Daryl had forgotten the old man liked to settle in there some nights, resting and enjoying the smell of books in the quiet of the night. He did not know what washed over him, but suddenly, Daryl was not afraid of his girlfriend's father anymore. Already angry at him, the feelings from his fight with Beth fueled the fire and caused him to meet the other man's eye for the first time in months.

"Came to clear my head. Library's open to the prison, ain't no rule says I can't be out at night anymore. Y'got a problem with it, you can piss off."

Hershel snorted, "Charming as ever, I see. Can't imagine what Beth sees in you."

"Yeah well what we got is somethin' special, old man, so I wouldn't expect ya t'understand!" He snapped, before muttering a quiet 'jackass' beneath his breath. It was not quiet enough to escape the other man's attention, and he turned in simmering anger.

"You wanna watch your tone with me, Dixon? I won't tolerate none of this from you- ya've done enough evil without usin' the devil's tongue."

"HEY!" Daryl swung around, throwing the chair he had kicked out of his way in order to storm up to Hershel. "They're wasn't nothin' '_evil'_ goin' on between us, not for a second. Things ain't been perfect, n' I maybe did her wrong or wasn't as good as I should be once or twice, but there was never evil or anythin' bad goin' on. You can't even be bothered to take a goddamn look at your daughter n' what makes her happy or how miserable all this is makin' her. I'm too selfish to leave, so you gotta be the bigger man eventually. N' shit, I dunno what's goin' on with us, but it's time for you to get the hell of our backs. So now I'm askin' you, man to man: how are we gonna find a way to deal with this?"

"If you're comin' to me for my blessing, you best be damn sure what you're asking." Hershel's glare was cool and calculated, fixed sharply on him, but Daryl met the stare evenly.

"I wanna be with your daughter. I ain't sure when I might wanna marry her or how things're gonna go, but I need to know that she ain't comin' to me crying every night." For a moment, the suitor saw something flicker in the old man's eyes, a recognition of how much pain he could see his daughter was in. But the old man was steadfast and stubborn as a mule; Beth had said so plenty of times, and that he never admitted he was wrong.

"And if I refuse?"

Once again, Daryl leveled his stare, "Then we're gonna have a problem, cuz I ain't watchin' her like that no more, and I don't know how you can stand to." A long period of silence stretched out between them

"I told her I loved her tonight." Daryl continued suddenly, causing Hershel jerk his head up and stare. "She ain't said it back yet. Too scared to, n' I know it's part cuz she can't ever really be with me if she thinks ya hate her for it."

"I could never _hate_ my _child_." The older man shot back scathingly at the accusation, but Daryl only shrugged.

"Then you best tell her that, cuz I don't think she knows n' it's makin' it damn hard to make her happy… I want her to be happy, Hershel." He admitted candidly, meeting his eye. "Shit, you know I'd _die_ for your little girl. Try t'pretend ya don't, but you know it's true- almost have more than once, n' it was worth every damn time t'see those eyes starin' back at me." The old man stared at him, eyes sharp but somehow softer than he had seen them in a while. The silence stretched between them, tired.

"You mean that, Daryl?" He finally asked, voice hoarse.

Daryl nodded, "She's perfect."

"Yes," he nodded, "she is."

"I know I ain't good enough for her," Daryl acquiesced, moving away to make his exit, "but no one is. At least I know she's worth the effort- ya can't ask for much more'n that."

On that final note, he turned and walked out- there was never a bad time for a perimeter check. He did it quickly though; despite his pain, he was suddenly clutched with the visceral need to be with Beth, to hold his girl close to him. She was already asleep when he got back to their cell, so he just slipped in quietly and pulled her carefully into his arms. She never woke, his touch and scent too familiar, and curled into his comforting warmth.

He could still be mad, he figured, but there was no use punishing himself too.


End file.
